Rory McIlroy Takes a Shot at Henrik Stenson in Social Media Exchange About Ryder Cup

McIlroy took a shot as his former Ryder Cup teammate, who also would have been his 2023 captain if he hadn’t joined LIV Golf.

Rory McIlroy is back on X (formerly Twitter), and his most recent public statement on the app was a direct shot at Sweden’s Henrik Stenson. 

Earlier this week, Jon Rahm’s decision to sign with the Saudi-funded LIV Golf league rocked the men’s professional game. Despite his strong opposition to the breakaway tour, McIlroy immediately came out in support of his friend and fellow European Ryder Cup teammate. 

“The thing that I’ve realized is that you can’t judge someone for making a decision that they feel is the best thing for them,” McIlroy told Sky Sports. 

In the same interview, however, McIlroy also called for the European Tour (now the DP World Tour) to rewrite the Ryder Cup eligibility rules so that Rahm can compete for Team Europe at Bethpage Black in 2025. 

As of now, players who are not members of the DP World Tour are not qualified to be a part of the European Ryder Cup team. Ryder Cup legends Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood abandoned their DP World Tour memberships, and therefore have not been involved in the European Ryder Cup organization since joining LIV Golf, even as vice captains. 

Here’s where Stenson comes in: McIlroy’s fiery comment came in response to a question posed by golf statistician Lou Stagner about the Swede’s future with the Ryder Cup. 

“I wonder if @McIlroyRory also wants to change the rules so Stenson can captain the team?” Stagner asked on X. 

Shortly after joining LIV Golf in 2022, Stenson was stripped of the 2023 Ryder Cup captaincy. Luke Donald took the job in his place, and lead the Europeans to a crushing victory over the Americans at Marco Simone this fall. His captaincy was such a success that the team quickly re-elected him as the captain for Bethpage as well. 

The best thing to happen to the 2023 Euro Ryder cup team was Henrik going to LIV!

— Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) December 9, 2023

McIlroy responded to Stagner’s question with quite the statement. 

“The best thing to happen to the 2023 Euro Ryder Cup team was Henrik going to LIV!” he wrote. 

It’s safe to say Stagner’s inquiry has been answered: The Northern Irishman isn’t overly concerned about helping Stenson reenter the Team Europe ecosystem.

Under the Donald’s leadership at Marco Simone, the Europeans flattened the Americans, 16 ½ to 11 ½. McIlroy was the leading European points-scorer, finishing with a 4-1-0 record.