Bradley appointment sparked Europe 'disbelief' - McIlroy

Rory McIlroy has expressed "disbelief" astatine Keegan Bradley being appointed United States skipper for nan Ryder Cup and says it would "absolutely not" beryllium imaginable to harvester nan domiciled pinch playing connected nan team.

Bradley was nan astonishment prime to lead nan Americans astatine Bethpage Black successful September 2025 aft 15-time awesome champion Tiger Woods turned down nan captaincy.

McIlroy said he was told of nan assignment by Europe skipper Luke Donald astatine a meal this week that was besides attended by 2023 Ryder Cup team-mates Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Nicolai Hojgaard.

Asked what nan guidance successful nan room was, McIlroy said: "I deliberation disbelief, probably. I deliberation Keegan was astir apt successful disbelief astatine immoderate constituent too, but [it is] surely an absorbing pick.

"Definitely I deliberation a astonishment for everyone. But he knows Bethpage very well. He went to assemblage successful nan area. He's evidently very passionate astir nan Ryder Cup.

"It's surely a departure from what nan US person done complete nan past fewer years, and clip will show if that's a bully point aliases not."

Bradley, who is 38, will beryllium nan youngest skipper since Arnold Palmer mixed playing pinch nan captaincy successful 1963.

After narrowly missing retired connected automatic action for nan US squad successful Rome, Bradley was overlooked for a captain's prime by Zach Johnson, who oversaw a 16½-11½ conclusion arsenic Europe regained nan Ryder Cup.

Bradley, presently 19th successful nan world rankings, has said he will effort to suffice for nan team, but McIlroy believes he would past person to relinquish nan captaincy.

Speaking aft posting a five-under-par 65 successful nan first information of his Scottish Open title defence, McIlroy said astir whether a subordinate could return connected dual roles.

"No, perfectly not," he said.

"I've contemplated it for Adare [in 2027] but there's excessively overmuch activity that goes into it. I've seen what Luke went done preparing for Rome.

“There's nary measurement you tin beryllium arsenic bully a skipper arsenic you request to beryllium and beryllium a playing skipper arsenic well.

"If you want to beryllium nan champion skipper you tin be, you can't play. And if you want to beryllium nan champion player, you can't captain. So it's 1 aliases nan other, particularly pinch really large nan Ryder Cup has go and really galore things you person to do successful nan lead-up to nan event.

"Keegan is nan 19th-ranked successful nan world truthful he has a awesome chance of making nan team. If he does, I deliberation he's going to person to springiness that captaincy domiciled to 1 of nan vice-captains."