Golfweek

On the heels of finishing just one shot out of a playoff at the PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy shared his thoughts on the upcoming Ryder Cup with BBC Sports. McIlroy, who has secured a position on the European team with the second-highest number of points after Lee Westwood, told the BBC he wouldn’t be surprised to see Tiger Woods emerge as a captain’s pick for the U.S. Team.

What’s more, McIlroy wouldn’t mind a singles match against Woods when the Ryder Cup is contested at Celtic Manor in Wales on Oct. 1-3. He thinks his teammates might feel the same.

“Unless his [Tiger Woods’] game rapidly improves over the next few weeks, I think anyone in the European team would fancy their chances against him,” McIlroy told the BBC.

McIlroy, 21, also said he doesn’t think it would “go down too well in the States” if Woods is overlooked.

“I think there’s a lot of American players playing better than him at the minute, but it’s always an advantage to have Tiger Woods on your team, and I’m sure we’ll probably see him in Wales in October,” McIlroy said.

McIlroy moved to No. 7 in the Official World Golf Ranking after his third-place finish at the PGA Championship. It’s a career high for the Northern Irishman after a year that has included top-3 finishes in two majors (the PGA and the British Open) and a win at the Wells Fargo Championship in May.