‘Rise to the bait’ – Rory McIlroy told what he must avoid in Ryder Cup prediction

Rory McIlroy returns to Ryder Cup action alongside Team Europe this weekend, and the Career Grand Slam winner has been warned what he must avoid if he hopes to retain the title at Bethpage Black

Rory McIlroy has been warned that he cannot “rise to the bait” of hecklers at Bethpage Black this weekend if he wants to win the Ryder Cup.

The 36-year-old from Holywood returns to the prestigious championship under the stewardship of Team Europe captain Luke Donald this weekend, and will be joined by some of the continent’s greatest golfers in Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick and Shane Lowry.

And while McIlroy has enjoyed a whirlwind year in terms of personal achievements, he will know that staying calm and collected under a New York crowd favouring Team USA will test him to his core. However, according to seasoned golf journalist Jaime Diaz, the Ryder Cup potentially rests on him remaining composed and playing his game.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Diaz said: “With reference to the Irish Open, that was very revitalising, got him out of that funk. And now here we are and I think it’s just an experience to see he’s about relationships, he’s about the love of competing, and he’s set the goal of, ‘Let’s win an away Ryder Cup.’

“But at the same time, it’s small-scale to me – a small-scale goal. If he doesn’t get it, it’s okay, and honestly, as much as we have all this build-up, Europe doesn’t really have that much to lose. They are the away team.

“If they lose, it’s not going to change the stature of the Ryder Cup or their stature as a team. To me, Rory will be a lightning rod for the fans.

“I don’t think he’ll rise to the bait. I think he’s going to stay above the fray, because he doesn’t want another occurrence like Rome and I think that’ll be better for his concentration and just for his experience.

“And then when this is all over, he can savour this great year and really look at it in the longview. I think he’ll go to 2026, you know, he talks about the Olympics and other goals at the Masters.

“I think he’s chasing that sixth major, and that would make him undisputedly the best European player of all time. I think the question is, will he still love the chase?

“He’s been chasing it for so long, the Masters for 10 years. It looked like there was some exhaustion after that Masters. Will he still feel that energy to go after something again?

“And to me, that’s the question going forward in terms of Rory’s place, ultimately, in history. Right now, he’s got a place. He’s a Grand Slam winner, he’s done an incredible amount.

“But he’s got some years and he’s young, and he’s great. He could still do a lot. It all depends on what he feels inside.”

It’s been an incredible year for McIlroy both on the PGA Tour and in terms of majors. The Northern Irishman secured his first win of the season at the ATandT Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, before beating JJ Spaun to the Players Championship after a nail-biting play-off the following month.

McIlroy then clinched the coveted Career Grand Slam in April at the Masters, adding a long-awaited Green Jacket to his collection of US Open, PGA Championship and Open Championship titles. McIlroy then hit a bit of a bump in terms of form, but seemed reinvigorated at this month’s Irish Open, where he won the tournament through a play-off with Joakim Lagergren after both finished at 19-under-par.

However, McIlroy will know all too well the stiff competition that awaits him at Bethpage Black this weekend in the form of Keegan Bradley’s fine-tuned Team USA. Long-time rival, Bryson DeChambeau, teams up with OWGR No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and seasoned veteran Xander Schauffele as part of the tournament’s home team, and McIlroy and his own team-mates will have to bring their a-game to defend the title they claimed two years ago.