Justin Rose has made thoughts perfectly clear on Rory McIlroy's actions behind the scenes
Justin Rose has lifted the lid on Rory McIlroy's behind-the-scenes influence as a team-mate ahead of the Ryder Cup. Both golfers are currently battling it out at The Open Championship, with McIlroy positioned T12 on the leaderboard at the midway point.
The pair memorably went head-to-head in a playoff at the Masters back in April, where McIlroy triumphed to finally clinch the Green Jacket and complete a stunning career Grand Slam. McIlroy and Rose have previously joined forces as Ryder Cup team-mates on four occasions.
The tournament will be hosted at the Bethpage Black Course this September. While Rose may need to bank on a captain's pick to secure his spot, he's revealed the true worth of McIlroy's contribution behind the scenes.
Speaking about the golfing schedule beyond The Open, Rose told reporters: "Then clearly we've got FedExCup Playoffs to look forward to, and then the Ryder Cup is the next big thing on our minds.
"[Rory] pours a lot of his energy and emotion into that as well, leaves it all on the golf course, and he's a great team-mate. His standing in the game doesn't necessarily dominate the team room.
"Although he is a vocal figure in the team room, he doesn't necessarily make that presence felt to the detriment of the team in any way, shape, or form. Give him a lot of credit for being a good team-mate."
Rose, tied for 17th after the second day at The Open, reflected on his own form: "Obviously I've had a bit of a come down off the back of the Masters, I feel like I'm coming back around to having more energy and focus again. I can see maybe the same for him, too. Yeah, it's probably coming at a good time."
McIlroy, who has been in stellar form with wins at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Players Championship and the Masters this year, became the first golfer to secure his spot on Team Europe in June. This will mark his eighth consecutive appearance against Team USA and he's eager to emulate the team's success under captain Luke Donald in Rome two years ago.
"It's always a huge honour to represent Europe in the Ryder Cup, so it means a great deal to have qualified for my eighth in a row and to be part of Luke's team again at Bethpage," McIlroy said. "Rome was such an incredible week with the environment Luke created, and I can't wait to be back in the team room.
"Winning a Ryder Cup away from home is one of the biggest challenges there is in golf. We know it is going to be tough in New York, but we are all looking forward to that challenge in September and the opportunity to potentially do something special."
After his Masters victory, McIlroy faced some challenges at the PGA Championship and the US Open but recently made a strong comeback with a T2 finish at the Scottish Open. Rose, who was commended for his gracious response to his Masters defeat, achieved his first top-10 finish since that event last week and opened up about coming to terms with his narrow loss to McIlroy in April.
"When you see all the outpouring from Rory, you understand how big the moment is, and you wish that for yourself, obviously," Rose confessed. "But like I said at the time, I think it wasn't lost on me what a huge achievement that was for the game of golf, obviously someone achieving the career Grand Slam, so absolutely.
"I was still able to be happy for Rory in that moment, and it had been a long time coming for him. For how good he is, to kind of have a few chances slip by, maybe even a decade of chances slip by, it was always going to be a matter of time."
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