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Rory McIlroy believes Europe\u2019s preparations for the Ryder Cup could give them an edge over a \u201cwell rested\u201d American side.<\/p>\n
All 12 members of Luke Donald\u2019s team made the cut in the BMW PGA Championship last week and seven finished in the top 10, with Tyrrell Hatton second, Jon Rahm fourth, Viktor Hovland fifth and Tommy Fleetwood sixth.<\/p>\n
McIlroy, who only made the weekend thanks to a birdie on the 18th in round two, carded closing scores of 67 and 65 to climb into a tie for seventh, with 54-hole leader Ludvig Aberg and Sepp Straka part of a tie for 10th.<\/p>\n
In stark contrast, only three Americans will have played competitively since the end of August when they tee it up in Rome a month later, with Justin Thomas and Max Homa playing the Fortinet Championship and LIV Golf\u2019s Brooks Koepka in action in Chicago.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe Americans will certainly be well rested,\u201d McIlroy said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s any substitute for being sharp and playing tournaments. The only thing is it\u2019s match play and not stroke play so it\u2019s a little bit different, but I don\u2019t think us playing a little bit more over these last few weeks is going to hurt us at all.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf anything I would say it\u2019s certainly better for me. I wouldn\u2019t have liked to go into the Ryder Cup with my last start being the Tour Championship but that\u2019s personal preference. I like to play my way into the big events.\u201d<\/p>\n
McIlroy felt Donald would have viewed the Wentworth leaderboard as \u201cawesome\u201d and was full of praise for the former world number one\u2019s captaincy since succeeding Henrik Stenson after he was sacked for joining LIV Golf.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he\u2019s been fantastic,\u201d the four-time major winner added. \u201cHe took the job in very weird circumstances I guess but he\u2019s taken it in his stride and he\u2019s been fantastic with me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure he\u2019s had a lot more interaction with some of the rookies and the new guys that are on the team. I feel at this point I can take care of myself a little bit.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you speak to everyone we\u2019ve all been really pleased with the job him and all of his team have done so far; the vice-captains are a big part of it and Ryder Cup Europe with all the backroom staff and everyone involved. It\u2019s been great so far.\u201d<\/p>\n
McIlroy is the most experienced player on the European team and will be making his seventh Ryder Cup appearance in Rome, but Donald has made it clear where the Northern Irishman\u2019s priorities will lie.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, he doesn\u2019t expect me to stand up there and make big speeches or say a lot of things,\u201d said McIlroy, who was reduced to tears by winning just one point from four matches in the record defeat at Whistling Straits.<\/p>\n
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\u201cBut if I can lead by example and be the first one to the team room if there is a meeting, first one on the bus on the way to the course; anything like that where I\u2019m still doing all the things that you should do and not getting complacent, that\u2019s the way I would like to lead.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd, as Luke said, lead with my clubs and making birdies and getting blue on the board.\u201d<\/p>\n