Rory McIlroy can do one thing to gain edge at Ryder Cup that Scottie Scheffler can't

Dame Laura Davies has suggested that Rory McIlroy could fly "under the radar" at the Ryder Cup, thanks to Jon Rahm, while Scottie Scheffler will be unable to do so. The Ryder Cup is set to kick off on Friday at Bethpage Black, with Team USA looking to make amends for their 2023 defeat in Italy.

Scheffler, the reigning Open and USPGA champion, is expected to lead the charge for the Americans. The University of Texas graduate has been a standout performer on the PGA Tour this year, despite having a mixed Ryder Cup record. On the European side, Masters champion McIlroy is undoubtedly the headline act. However, Solheim Cup veteran Davies believes that one player could help alleviate some of the pressure on the Northern Irishman.

Rahm, who was a key figure in Europe's last Ryder Cup campaign in the US, could provide the perfect distraction, allowing McIlroy to replicate his top-scoring performance from Rome two years ago, according to Davies. Discussing Scheffler, Davies told BetMGM: "I mean, he's simply the best player. He's almost freak-like in how consistent he is.

"His Ryder Cup record is okay, it's 50%. He's won half his matches, lost half in the three ties, so it's a seven he's played. He's very young in his Ryder Cup career yet, but I think the American players will lean on him, and they'll be expecting him to go first in the singles.

"We'll be expecting probably Jon Rahm to go first in our [Team Europe's] singles. So there are various things that he'll have to do as their number one player, and one of them will be to put some points on the board.

"Because if he doesn't put points on the board, all of a sudden, not that any of these guys are lesser lights, they're all fantastic in their own right, but Scottie sets the bar really. He has a responsibility. There's always someone you hang your hat on during a Ryder Cup or a Solheim Cup, and I think he's the man for them.

"Rory's definitely our talisman, and then obviously Jon Rahm for other reasons, because he's just so good and so, you know, he's a lot more boisterous, you'd say, than Rory. Rory's kind of under the radar, whereas Jon is in your face; he's brilliant. I love watching Jon play.

"There are a few players, people like Xander Schauffele are going to have to show up for the Americans too, I believe, and he's not had his best year for obvious reasons. The injury didn't help."

In principle, McIlroy is arriving at the Black Course at Bethpage State Park as a fresher competitor. He chose to miss several PGA Tour tournaments this year, including the recent FedEx St. Jude Championship.

The 35-year-old has faced backlash for pulling out of certain events, but Davies, who serves as a pundit for Sky Sports, believes he has the freedom to compete whenever he chooses.

"Well, the thing is, it's your career, you only get one crack at it, and you have to do what you think is right for you," she stated. "Now, it might not please everyone all the time, but what you have to balance with Rory is he is so giving of his time, and he never baulks at anything.

"Now, obviously, as a commentator on all this, you want Rory in the tournament, because it makes it more exciting. Whether he plays well or not, you've always got one eye on whether he's coming through the field. But he has to do what's right for him, so I would 100% never criticise another player.

"I personally used to love playing more and more tournaments, and that was the way I did it. Rory's time is worth a lot, he gets a lot less free time than the likes of me and other players, so it's easy to criticise until you're wearing the boots."

Laura Davies was speaking on behalf of BetMGM. You could win over £30million today with BetMGM's MGM Millions. BeGambleAware 18+