McIlroy ‘potentially the greatest European golfer of all time’
“Egos go out the window when you enter that European team room,” says MacIntyre. “It feels like we’ve got a better bond”.
“He’s potentially the greatest European golfer of all time,” he says on Rory McIlroy.
“I just play golf, the crowd is here to watch at the end of the day. I must say at the opening ceremony there were a lot of European fans!
“It is what it is, if we do our jobs well we’ll be happy. We can’t control them, I can control me. We can control what happens in our group,” he says, before adding that it’s “part of the game”.
Chris Wilson25 September 2025 13:24
Hovland: ‘I think aggressiveness is probably going to be a good strategy’
“He’s a great player and he’s had an amazing year this year,” says Hovland on a potential partnership with Bob MacIntyre. Nevertheless, he doesn’t want to give too much away.
“I think aggressiveness is probably going to be a good strategy. Play like you’re going to birdie every hole,” he adds on the technique for this week.
“Rome had a lot of holes you could easily win by par, I don’t think that’s going to be the case this week”.
Chris Wilson25 September 2025 13:17
Hovland: ‘You’ve got to stick to your game’
“There’ll be some comments here and there, they won’t come close to the thoughts I have in my own head!” says Hovland on the potential for the crowd to jeer European players.
“I’ll try and make a few birdies, that seems to do the trick,” he adds.
When asked about McIlroy’s influence on the team, he says: “How long we got? He’s a great player, very skilled, experienced, but he carries a lot of weight in the team room. He brings out the best of everyone in there.”
Chris Wilson25 September 2025 13:13
Bob MacIntyre to come after Holland
After Hovland, Robert MacIntyre is up next. The Scot is currently ranked ninth in the PGA rankings.
He finished second at the US Open this season, and has two tour wins to his name.
(Getty Images)
Chris Wilson25 September 2025 13:05
Hovland will be the first player interviewed today.
The 28-year-old came third in this year’s US Open, with his best ever major finish coming at the PGA Championship in 2023, where he tied second.
He has seven PGA Tour wins to his name, and is ranked 12th in the PGA rankings at present.
Chris Wilson25 September 2025 12:56
A reminder that the first interviews of the day start at 8am EDT (1pm BST).
Viktor Hovland of Team Europe will be first up, followed by a further seven of his teammates including Bob MacIntyre, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm.
The full schedule for the European interviews is below (the US interviews haven’t been confirmed yet):
8am EDT (1pm BST) – Viktor Hovland 8.15am EDT (1.15pm BST) – Robert MacIntyre 8.30am EDT (1.30pm BST) – Matt Fitzpatrick 8.45am EDT (1.45pm BST) – Rory McIlroy 9am EDT (2pm BST) – Shane Lowry 9.15am EDT (2.15pm BST) – Sepp Straka 9.30am EDT (2.30pm BST) – Tyrrell Hatton 9.45am EDT (2.45pm BST) – Jon Rahm
Chris Wilson25 September 2025 12:50
Inside Bethpage Black, aka The Beast, the notorious New York course hosting the Ryder Cup
About a year ago, Luke Donald flew into New York with his right-hand man, Edoardo Molinari, to suss out the next Ryder Cup course. Word quickly got out that the European captain was in town, so by the time the pair walked to the first tee the next day for their reconnaissance of Bethpage Black, a pack of around two dozen grinning locals were waiting to greet them.
“On the first tee, from England!” shouted one, to much laughter. New Yorkers tend not to need microphones. “The former world No 1, captain of Team Europe, LUUUUUKE DONALD!”
It was the gentlest taste of what is to come: as if Donald needed reminding, the home fans won’t be shy when the Ryder Cup begins on Friday, on a golf course 45 minutes outside Manhattan. Add in a steady stream of beer, some deep-seated sporting tribalism and an edge of jingoism – Donald Trump will arrive on the opening day – multiplied across thousands of fans, and you start to paint a picture of what awaits Team Europe.
Chris Wilson25 September 2025 12:38
Ryder Cup 2025 rules explained: What are foursomes, fourballs and how does the scoring work?
A little reminder of how the tournament works ahead of the action starting tomorrow…
Europe are the defending champions after a brilliant victory in Italy in 2023 that left the USA seething and desperate for revenge on home soil.
Chris Wilson25 September 2025 12:20
Ryder Cup 2025: Meet Team USA including the World No1 Scottie Scheffler and Europe’s nemesis Patrick Cantlay
Chris Wilson25 September 2025 12:05
And here is the American team for 2025. The team possesses seven of the top 10 golfers in the PGA rankings.
Scottie Scheffler JJ Spaun Xander Schauffele Russell Henley Harris English Bryson DeChambeau Justin Thomas Collin Morikawa Ben Griffin Sam Burns Patrick Cantlay Cameron Young
Chris Wilson25 September 2025 11:52