The American Ryder Cup team seems to have made a humiliating mistake ahead of the event, with official merchandise apparently featuring a silhouette of European superstar Rory McIlroy. The five-time major champion will be crucial for Europe’s chances of keeping the famous trophy at Bethpage Black when the event kicks off on 26 September, yet his likeness appears to have been used on a Team USA Ralph Lauren T-shirt.
The shirt, adorned with the message ‘USA Ryder Cup 2025’ over the top of the silhouette of what looks like McIlroy swinging a driver, is available for $65 on the official Ryder Cup merchandise website. This comes as the world No.2’s confident declaration that Europe will win echoes in the ears of the Americans. The Telegraph first noticed this peculiar piece of clothing and reported anonymous quotes from an insider who claimed: “That’s definitely Rory, nobody swings like him.”
Another anonymous source took the opportunity to mock Keegan Bradley’s team, referencing the fact that the 12 Americans teeing it up at Bethpage will become the first players in the history of the Ryder Cup to be paid for their involvement.
“Rory even inspires the American team. The PGA America probably did not use any of their own players because they would have demanded to be paid for it,” the source joked.
As he gears up for this week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in Surrey, England, Rory McIlroy was quizzed about a peculiar story.
“It looks more like Adam Scott than me but yeah, it looks a little similar, I don’t know,” he told Sky Sports when asked about the likelihood of thousands of Americans donning a shirt with his image on at Bethpage.”That’s okay. That’s fine. I won’t mind that.”
McIlroy is set to play his eighth consecutive Ryder Cup and will be crucial to captain Luke Donald’s aspirations of retaining the trophy for Europe.
The Northern Irish golfer had a career-defining start to the year, clinching victories at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players before finally securing the Green Jacket by winning The Masters.
Despite a quiet summer, he has bounced back just in time from Donald’s viewpoint, triumphing at the Irish Open at The K Club on Sunday, largely due to an eagle at the last hole to force a playoff with Joakim Lagergren- a stroke of brilliance that will be remembered as one of the most iconic shots of his career.
During his pre-tournament press conference at Wentworth on Tuesday, McIlroy was asked for his opinion on Europe’s chances of victory in New York in a few weeks.
“History would tell you it’s very difficult. There’s a reason that in the last decade, each Ryder Cup has went to the home team,” he said.
“Yeah, look, it would obviously be great to bring the Ryder Cup back to these shores, and, look, we know how difficult it’s going to be. We are under no illusion. I have complete confidence and Luke and his vice captains and the team that they have put together.
“I keep saying this: We have a massive opportunity to do something that not a lot of Ryder Cup teams say that they have done. I have been lucky enough to be part of one Ryder Cup Team that won away.
“We have got a lot of people within that team, whether they are myself and Justin Rose that are playing, but then obviously you’ve got Francesco and Luke on the vice captain side that were there that played. So we have experience in knowing what it takes.
“But I think we all know it’s going to be very, very difficult, and you’re not just playing 12 American golfers. You’re also trying to get past the crowd, and that’s the same thing that they feel when we come here and play in Europe. Just it definitely gives you a bit of an in-built advantage to start the week, and that’s something definitely that we’re going to have to overcome.
“But I think it’s a wonderful opportunity. I don’t want to speak on behalf of everyone that’s on the team but I would assume that we are all very, very excited for that opportunity.”