By Tom Victor

Copyright mirror

As Team Europe gear up to defend their Ryder Cup title on foreign turf, Rory McIlroy stands out as one of the most seasoned players on the squad. The Northern Irish golfer is participating in the team competition for the eighth time – more than any other member of this year’s European or American squads. McIlroy, known for his drive and competitive spirit, has been rewarded with some impressive results. He had bagged three of the four majors before hitting 30 and completed the set before his 36th birthday when he triumphed over Justin Rose in a playoff at the Masters earlier this year. The newest Career Grand Slam holder enters the latest Ryder Cup having secured 18 points from previous editions of the tournament. Four of those points were earned across five matches in Rome in 2023, where a narrow defeat for McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick against Patrick Cantlay and Wyndham Clark was the only blemish on his record. McIlroy has been a constant figure at the world’s top tournaments, clinching this year’s Players Championship before following it up with that Masters victory and cement his place as one of the best players on the circuit today. Over his illustrious career, rivals have gotten a taste of what he’s like on the course as a person as well as a player, and here’s what some of the other 2025 Ryder Cup competitors have said about his conduct. Like McIlroy, Lowry has had a memorable 2025. The Irish golfer broke into the world’s top 10 for the first time this year, and remains there as of 21 September, thanks in no small part to his runner-up finish behind McIlroy at Pebble Beach in February. On his way to securing a T2 finish at the Truist Championship later in the year, Lowry highlighted McIlroy as an inspiration when discussing his mental approach. “I just think you need to be persistent,” he said. “You need to keep putting yourself there, and eventually it will happen. “You look at Rory at the Masters a few weeks ago. Keep knocking on the door, and eventually you’ll go through it. I feel like I’ve done a good job of it this season, last season.” World No. 1 Scheffler is among the big hitters on Team USA, and he has discussed how much he relishes playing alongside McIlroy. Amongst other qualities, Scheffler has been struck by the Team Europe star’s pace of play. “Yeah, it’s always fun playing with Rory; we draw a nice crowd,” Scheffler said after his opening round at the 2025 BMW Championship. “The crowd did a great job of cheering us both on. He’s a great pairing. He plays fast, he plays well, and we had a good time out there.” McIlroy’s determination has also made an impression on Fleetwood. The Englishman claimed his maiden PGA Tour victory in August and credited McIlroy’s Masters triumph as something which assisted him in crossing the finishing line. “I love that people have gathered into this momentum I’ve been building and the story that’s been happening and chasing that first win and being so close and it not happening,” Fleetwood told Sky Sports at the time. “I love the support that I’ve got from that and they’ve played a huge part really, because you know what people are thinking as well. “You know that there’s two sides of it, there’s the supportive side and there’s the sort of doubtful side. There’s the negative expectation side, there’s all of that that you have to deal with. “And I think I’ve drawn on many different things, lots of different support. The people around me that I work with every day, friends, family, golfers. I think Rory’s story at the Masters, I’m nowhere near Rory’s career, but I think him winning the Masters this year was a great show of resilience and mental strength and I drew on that as well. So you try and draw on the things that are going to help.” Spaun is amongst the newcomers representing the American squad this year following a huge personal year which included his maiden major triumph. The 35-year-old also pushed McIlroy all the way at the 2025 Players Championship, and revealed how much he relished competing alongside the Northern Irishman. “He is super cool,” Spaun said on Fore Play Podcast Plus. “We were talking about the UK, I know he is from Northern Ireland, so I asked him if he ever hangs out in London because my wife has a really good friend who lives out there and loves going there. “So over the last couple of years in December we go to a little vacation to the Cotswolds, which is like the countryside, with all these quaint villages which are really old and have pubs from the 1700s. There is a really cool vibe to hang out during the holidays, so I asked him about that and he was like ‘oh yeah, I am building a house out there’. You know he kept it really friendly and light and we chatted a lot until the back nine and then that was it.” Two-time major champion Thomas has revealed he maintains a strong friendship with McIlroy, although he isn’t afraid to admit their camaraderie is temporarily shelved when they’re locked in competition. “I would say I would just kind of channel the things that I feel because it’s nothing personal,” he explained in 2023. “Rory is a great example. I love Rory. We get along extremely well. He’s been a role model of mine. He was super nice to me when I was first starting up. He still is. We see each other a bunch. “Yeah, we played each other in the Ryder Cup and, yeah, we hated each other for 18 holes. Again, it’s nothing personal. It’s not a dislike as a person.” Not everyone shares the same view of McIlroy. Bryson DeChambeau was paired with the eventual Masters champion for the final round at Augusta this year, but the atmosphere was decidedly frosty. “No idea. Didn’t talk to me once all day,” DeChambeau revealed when questioned about their interactions during the round. Nevertheless, he subsequently acknowledged his rival’s performance with a respectful social media tribute following the weekend’s play. “Huge congratulations to Rory on an incredible achievement in completing the career Grand Slam of golf . He deserved to get this one,” the 32 year old posted on Instagram , confessing that he hadn’t been able to bring his “best stuff” to the course.