Rory McIlroy of Team Europe poses for a photo with a young spectator at the Bethpage Black Course, Farmingdale, New York ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy is already making friends in New York, as he prepares for this weekend’s Ryder Cup.
After laughing off some playful boos from the home support, the Masters champion posed for photographs and chatted with young fans at the Bethpage Black course during European team’s Tuesday morning practice round.
The 36 year-old played alongside teammates Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Justin Rose.
The good-natured fun will come to an end on Friday, when the 45th Ryder Cup gets underway at the Farmingdale venue.
Team captain Luke Donald is confident that the Holywood native can help Europe claim victory on American soil for the first-time since 2012.
“Rory has talked about this many times, he loves what the Ryder Cup represents,” Donald said.
Rory McIlroy of Team Europe signs autographs during a practice round at the Bethpage Black Course, Farmingdale, New York
“You can see the emotion both ways. When he lost in Wisconsin (in 2021), the tears were flowing, how he felt like as the player he is – he’s a leader for the team – that he needed to play better and he felt like he let himself down and the team. That’s kind of the brotherhood we have in our team.
“He sees himself as a leader but also just one of 12. We try and talk about that a lot. We all have an opportunity to contribute to the team.
“To have someone of his calibre, though, what he’s achieved in the game is tremendous.
“But for him, Ryder Cups are very, very important.
“He talked about how difficult it is to win an away Ryder Cup, and I think if he was able to be on this team, on a winning team, that would make this year even better than what he’s already done.”
The action gets underway with foursomes at midday (BST) on Friday, with the fourballs to follow in the evening.