An official T-shirt released for the 2025 Ryder Cup has caused a stir after featuring a silhouette that bears a striking resemblance to European star Rory McIlroy. The $65 navy Ralph Lauren shirt, sold on the official US Ryder Cup shop, carries the slogan “USA Ryder Cup 2025” alongside the image of a golfer whose follow-through is almost certainly that of McIlroy, Europe’s leading player.
The item quickly drew widespread attention on social media, with fans questioning why a European player would be used to represent Team USA. Speaking at Wentworth on Tuesday, McIlroy himself downplayed the situation, quipping that the silhouette looked more like Adam Scott—an equally curious choice, given that Scott is Australian. The PGA of America has been contacted for comment.
McIlroy is currently in England for the BMW PGA Championship, the DP World Tour’s flagship event. He arrives in excellent form following a dramatic victory at the Irish Open, where he sank a 30-foot eagle putt on the final hole before defeating Joakim Lagergren in a playoff.
The 36-year-old also spoke about his future scheduling philosophy, emphasizing that he will no longer be guided by tour minimums. “At this point, I want to play golf when I want to play golf,” McIlroy said. “I’m not going to be going by minimums or anything else. I’ll obviously do my bit to make sure I keep my membership and all that on certain tours, but I’m going to play where I want to play.”
He explained that the prospect of new experiences is a key motivation after nearly two decades as a professional. “To be able to do things for the first time, so go to India and play for the first time or whatever that may be, that excites me,” he added. “You’re going back to the same place, the same thing 15, 20 years in a row, it can get a little bit monotonous.”
McIlroy drew a parallel with tennis legend Roger Federer, recalling a conversation from a few years ago. “He was saying he wanted to go and play a lot of the places he could never play in his career… just because not a lot of people had ever seen him play tennis before.”
McIlroy is one of 11 members of the European Ryder Cup team competing at Wentworth. Following the tournament, the team is scheduled to travel to Bethpage, the site of the 2025 event, for a scouting trip.
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