Paul McGinley makes huge Rory McIlroy claim on the eve of the Ryder Cup

The former Ryder Cup captain has also opened up on Europe’s chances of success at Bethpage Black

Former Ryder Cup-winning captain Paul McGinley has cast doubt over whether Rory McIlroy can reclaim his position as world number one, suggesting he lacks the steady consistency of Scottie Scheffler.

Nevertheless, McGinley, who serves as strategic director for the current European squad, reckons the unpredictable nature of the Northern Irishman’s performances means he can rise to the occasion for major tournaments – and next week’s biennial clash with the United States in New York represents exactly that type of moment.

The 12-strong squad dedicated Monday and Tuesday to studying Bethpage Black, with McGinley noting that Masters champion McIlroy “revelled” in abandoning his “megastar” persona to become simply another team member.

“No-one was drawing on his time, he was just around the guys and in the middle of all the lads and you could see how much he enjoyed being in that environment,” remarked the Irishman, who claimed three victories as a player before captaining Europe to glory at Gleneagles in 2014.

“He is mentally engaged, I have no concerns about that. Rory has always been a volatile performer; his career has never been a straight line, there have been loads of dips and then he comes roaring back.

“Rory is charismatic, dynamic in how he plays, a risk-taker and he draws people in because he plays in the Arnold Palmer style.

“That guy is more hit and miss than a Scottie Scheffler, who plays the percentages, is very detailed and conservative in his approach.

“It is no surprise Scheffler is leading the world rankings and will do. I don’t know if Rory will ever lead the world rankings again because he doesn’t have the consistency Scottie has.

“Rory’s personality is in and out. He gets a flourish, he’s unbeatable and then he looks like he’s going to miss the cut and then he comes back again.

“One of the things you can always say about Rory is when he has something in his sightline he generally achieves it and generally performs.”

McGinley stated that Europe had invested heavily to create “the best prepared team I’ve ever come across” but the outcome would ultimately hinge on their performance on the course.

He believes they need to rely on players like McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Viktor Hovland for this.

“You can have all the vibe, all the preparation, but can the players perform in a hostile environment – that is the question,” he added.

“Can our top players bring a massive haul of points, because you win the Ryder Cup with top players’ performance.

“If you take Victor, Jon and Rory out the last Ryder Cup you are looking at maybe 10 points, which would only leave four and a half points from the rest of the team to get over the line.”

The way they manage the rowdy New York crowd will be crucial to this.

“You take football or rugby players, they are used to that hostile environment because they play in it every second week. Golfers are not,” said McGinley.

“It’s not the same as playing on the PGA Tour when it’s friendly fire: you miss a putt and there is polite applause but with a lot of shouting and maybe some personal insults thrown at you can you reset yourself and drown out that noise and deliver?”.

“We’ve had some guest speakers from other sports speak to the players about playing in a hostile environment. We’re doing all we can to prepare the players mentally.”