McIlroy, 36, had already mentioned last summer that he had turned down a chance to be playing captain at the 2027 Ryder Cup. That he was brought into discussions is not a surprise; McIlroy has been the team’s heart and soul for the better part of a decade and the event will be played in Ireland at Adare Manor,

To McIlroy’s point, playing captains at the Ryder Cup are incredibly rare. Arnold Palmer was the last one back in 1963, and he led the United States team to a dominant 23-9 win over the Europeans.

Rory McIlroy is the only eligible player skipping next week's FedEx Cup Playoffs opener. Here's why his decision shouldn't be surprising.