Those hoping for a Ryder Cup captain showdown between Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are about to be disappointed.

Woods, who was in discussions for 2025 American captaincy before turning it down due to time constraints, is now the front-runner for the gig in 2027 when his responsibilities in the PGA Tour-LIV Golf negotiations are (hopefully) over.

The European captaincy is less clear, although given the Ryder Cup will be played in Ireland at Adare Manor—and that Adare’s owner, J. P. McManus, has a personal relationship with Rory McIlroy—there was the idea that perhaps Europe would counter Woods’ starpower with its own marquee attraction in McIlroy, with the Ulsterman taking on a player-captain role similar to what Woods did at the 2019 Presidents Cup.

Alas, following a first-round 65 at the Genesis Scottish Open on Thursday, McIlroy put the kibosh on that pipe dream.

McIlroy, making his first start since his heartbreak at the U.S. Open, was asked if he was surprised by the appointment of Keegan Bradley to helm the U.S. Ryder Cup squad. “I think disbelief,” McIlroy told reporters in North Berwick, Scotland. “I think Keegan was probably in disbelief, at some point, too, but it certainly an interesting pick.

“The youngest captain since Arnold Palmer I think was a playing captain as 34. But he knows Bethpage very well. He went to university in the area. He’s obviously very passionate about the Ryder Cup.”

During Bradley’s introduction this week in New York, the 2011 PGA champ expressed a desire to make the team as a player, but only through automatic qualifying. McIlroy suggested the pulls of the captain’s job, admitting the numerous tasks are why he passed on being a player-captain in 2027.

“There’s too much work that goes into it,” McIlroy said. “I’ve seen what Luke [Donald] went through preparing for Rome. There’s no way you can be as good a captain as you need to be and be playing as well. It’s been mentioned, and I’ve just said, ‘No way.’

“If you want to be the best captain you can be, you can’t play. And if you want to be the best player you can be, you can’t captain. It’s one or the other. Especially with how big the Ryder Cup has become and how many things you have to do in the lead-up to the event, the week of the event.”

McIlroy, 35, has played in seven Ryder Cups, boasting a 16-13-4 record in 33 matches.

Main Image: Richard Heathcote