Rory McIlroy expects Ryder Cup to be postponed until 2021 rather than held without fans

Rory McIlroy has said he expects this year’s Ryder Cup to be delayed by a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ryder Cup bosses on either side of the Atlantic are in ongoing discussions about the biennial event at Wisconsin’s Whistling Straits course in September, with the possibility of it being played behind closed doors having been mooted.

But world No1 McIroy, expected to be Europe’s talisman at the event, called for the tournament to be pushed back by a year, as golf prepares to return to action next month on the PGA Tour in the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas.

McIlroy said: “My personal hunch is that I don’t see how it is going to happen, so I do not think that it will. I think the majority of players would like to see it pushed back until 2021, so that they can play in front of crowds and have the atmosphere that makes the Ryder Cup so special.

“The players are the ones that make the Ryder Cup. If they are not on board with it and don’t want to play, then there is no Ryder Cup. I see it being pushed back until 2021 and I think that will be the right call.”