Rory McIlroy pumped but working to keep Ryder Cup emotions in check

Europe has won seven of the last nine and 12 of the last 17 Ryder Cups going back to 1985

Europe's Rory McIlroy celebrates his putt on the 8th during the singles matches on day three of the 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club in 2016. Picture: David Davies/PA

Rory McIlroy is preparing for his sixth appearance in the Ryder Cup this week at Whistling Straits. While that makes the 32-year-old Irish man relatively long in the tooth when it comes to the biennial matches, he’s still younger than the average age (34.5) of this European team.

While he’s typically one of the highest-ranked Europeans and thus relied upon to lead the way on the course, he’s never had to shoulder the bulk of the leadership responsibility on a team always rich in veteran experience.