Rory McIlroy Regrets His 'Stupid' Comment About The Ryder Cup

Rory McIlroy will represent Europe in his seventh Ryder Cup. His view of the tournament has changed considerably since preparing for his debut.

Ahead of the Ryder Cup commencing this Friday, McIlroy reflected on comments he made months before his first foray into the prestigious event.

"It's not that important an event for me," McIlroy said 14 years ago. "It's an exhibition at the end of the day. Obviously, I'll try my best for the team, but I'm not going to go running around fist-pumping."

When recently reading back those remarks, an embarrassed McIlroy laughed and asked, "Who said that?". 

"I said that in my naivete as a young swashbuckling lad. I now have been part of the Ryder Cup a lot, and what those three quotes are couldn't be further from the truth," McIlroy said.

McIlroy explained that his view shifted once he participated in the biennial contest.

"It's just a completely different environment once you get in there, seeing how much it means to everyone," he continued. "It is the purest competition in golf. To me, it doesn't get any better than that."

Europe won four of his six Ryder Cups, but an emotional McIlroy cried while losing "the best event in golf" two years ago. He believes the team will be extra driven to take back the trophy in Rome.

Despite his "stupid" take as a 20-year-old, McIlroy believes all golfers should make Ryder Cup participation a career goal.

"Everyone should strive to be a part of the Ryder Cup," he said. "It's the best feeling in the world."