Rory McIlroy believes Europe’s Ryder Cup side are all hitting top form at the right time after a strong showing from the 12-man team at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
All of the team made the cut, seven of them finishing in the top 10 and Tyrrell Hatton coming closest to the win by a single stroke behind Ryan Fox.
McIlroy, who did well to make the cut on Sunday, enjoyed a final round of 65 to put him in a share of seventh.
And afterwards, he said of the team ahead of Rome next week, “It’s awesome. We’re in a good spot. We had a really good day in Rome on Monday, the team’s been shaping up really well for the last couple of months, everyone’s been in pretty good form.
“It’s still almost two weeks away until the first ball is hit on the Friday morning but I’m sure you’ll ask all the boys that are coming in here they are all just so excited to get to Rome and get going.”
Of his own game, McIlroy insisted “everything’s headed in the right direction” after a fluctuating performance at Wentworth.
Victor Hovland, who finished two shots ahead of McIlroy in fifth, warned his American rivals there was more to come.
He said: “I would say I’m more pleased with the result over how I was playing. I didn’t make any big mistakes but I didn’t really feel like I was hitting it as good as I should.”
Europe are bidding to win back the cup after being overwhelmed by the US at Whistling Straits at the previous event.
Hatton, who was watched by his family throughout his six-under-par final round, said he was relishing the opportunity of reuniting as a team once more.
“Just to have that team sort of bond and the atmosphere that we created in that team room is amazing,” he said. “We all follow other sports outside of gold and sort of envy the guys that have the team bond. And for us to do it once every two years is great.”
