Rory McIlroy sends Ryder Cup warning with Irish Open play-off victory
Ben Smith 
It's just over two weeks to go until the Ryder Cup gets underway at Bethpage Black, and Europe talisman Rory McIlroy is hitting form at the right time.
Team USA may still be favourites with betting sites to win back the Ryder Cup on home soil but if the away team is to have any hope of upsetting the odds, McIlroy is sure to have a big say in things.
McIlroy couldn't be in a better position after last week, and Free Bets golf expert Ben Smith has had a look at the state of play.
Rory McIlroy produced a thrilling finish at the Irish Open on Sunday, defeating Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren in a playoff to capture his fourth title of the golf season.
The drama peaked on the 18th, where McIlroy rolled in a 27-foot eagle putt to force extra holes, triggering wild celebrations around the green.
In the third playoff hole, Lagergren found the water to a chorus of cheers from the partisan crowd, creating an atmosphere more akin to the Ryder Cup than a regular tour event, before McIlroy sealed the win.
A year on from narrowly missing out to Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard, when his eagle attempt at Royal County Down’s 18th agonisingly lipped out, the Masters champion made amends in style.
“It's absolutely incredible. I love coming home. I love playing in this atmosphere,” he said. "Moments like this, these are the things you're going to remember well after your career is over, and this is a really special day.”
Speaking about the reception he received at the K Club, he said: "Again, I feel very fortunate, because there’s probably very few golfers in the world that get the support that I get when I go home.”
McIlroy now turns his attention to the BMW PGA at Wentworth before Europe’s Ryder Cup defence at Bethpage Black.
“To do what I did earlier in the year, and then to come home and win my National Open, no matter what happens for the rest of the year, that's a pretty cool year.
"2025 is going to go down as one of the best, if not the best, in my career.
“But we're not finished yet. I've got a big week next week at Wentworth. And then, obviously, everyone's looking forward to the Ryder Cup.
“But I'm just so happy my game's in good shape. I feel like I'm playing well, you know, and that excites me for what's coming up.”
Sepp Straka will be the lone member of Team Europe absent from Wentworth on Thursday, as he remains at home with his wife following the recent arrival of their newborn.
Fresh from his Irish Open triumph, McIlroy arrives as the tournament favourite, though Jon Rahm, boasting a strong track record, is close behind him on the betting board.
FedEx Cup champion Tommy Fleetwood follows in the market, with Ludvig Aberg and Tyrrell Hatton completing the top five in a star-studded DP World Tour field.
McIlroy won the BMW PGA Championship in 2014, and has come close to adding a second Wentworth title on multiple occasions, including a year ago when he was beaten by Billy Horschel in a three-man playoff involving Thriston Lawrence.
If McIlroy, or one of his teammates, can secure victory in Surrey this weekend, it would be the perfect Ryder Cup preparation. Meanwhile, 10 members of Team USA are competing in the Procore Championship in Napa Valley, California.
Scottie Scheffler is one of them and, unsurprisingly, is a clear favourite at 9/4 to notch yet another PGA Tour title.
