Colin Montgomerie makes Race to Dubai pledge if he loses record to Rory McIlroy

McIlroy moved within touching distance of the Scot’s tally when he claimed the crown for a fourth year in a row and seventh time in total at the end of the 2025 season in Dubai a week past Sunday.

Having moved ahead of Seve Ballesteros, McIlroy now has his sights set on not just matching Montgomerie’s title haul but eclipsing his record, with time on the side of the 36-year-old.

Speaking on a media call ahead of next week’s Skechers World Champions Cup supporting Shriners Children’s, Montgomerie said of McIlroy: “It was my honour to captain him as a rookie in the Ryder Cup in 2010 (at Celtic Manor) and from then on I have followed his career very closely.

“What talent he has and I am sure in years to come he will not just tie my record next year but possibly break it in the years to come. If there was one to break that record, I would rather it be him.

“There’s very little left for him after winning all the majors (completing the career grand slam with his Masters success in April) and having won the Ryder Cup away twice, as he has in 2012 and 2025. There’s one record left and that is that eight or nine Orders of Merit and I am sure that if he keeps fit and well, he will attain it and I will make sure I am in Dubai and hand over that ninth trophy to him on the green.”

Meanwhile, Montgomerie reckons Luke Donald, who led Europe to victory in the last two Ryder Cups, is likely to stay on for the 2027 match at Adare Manor in Ireland and bid to create history as the first captain to win three contests.

“Well, there is an obvious choice really,” observed the Scot when asked about the captaincy for the centenary edition in County Limerick. “The next up is Justin Rose, but I think he’s said ‘look, I want to play’ and I think that’s the right decision for Justin as he will still be good enough to be in that top 12 to represent Europe and to try and win the Ryder Cup for a third time in a row.

“So therefore, that leaves Luke Donald to be captain again, doesn’t it? It was a very brave decision to take it a second time away from home in New York after we hadn’t won away from home for a generation (in 2012 at Medinah).

“If he was brave enough to do that then, I am convinced he is brave enough to do a third term and win again at home knowing that our record at home is something very, very special. One of the great records in world sport when you think the last time we lost at home was 1993.

“So it’s less of a brave decision to take a home tie than it was an away one, so, if I was on that committee, as I was after I was captain, I’d be voting for Luke myself to take on the captaincy again for a third time and try and beat Tony Jacklin’s record of two-and-a-half out of three and try and get three out of three, which would be extraordinary.”