Rory McIlroy warned what not to do as pundit makes Ryder Cup prediction

Rory McIlroy has been warned that he must not "rise to the bait" of hostile spectators at Bethpage Black if he wants to win the Ryder Cup. The 36-year-old makes his return to the prestigious tournament under Team Europe skipper Luke Donald's guidance this weekend alongside the likes of Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick and Shane Lowry.

While McIlroy has enjoyed a remarkable year of individual accomplishments, he will understand that maintaining his composure beneath a partisan New York crowd, who will be backing Team USA, will push him to his limits. And veteran golf correspondent Jaime Diaz believes the Ryder Cup could hinge on the Holywood-born star keeping his cool and sticking to his natural game. Speaking to Sky Sports, Diaz said: "With reference to the Irish Open, that was very revitalising, got him out of that funk.

"And now here we are and I think it's just an experience to see he's about relationships, he's about the love of competing, and he's set the goal of, 'Let's win an away Ryder Cup.' But at the same time, it's small-scale to me - a small-scale goal.

"If he doesn't get it, it's okay, and honestly, as much as we have all this build-up, Europe doesn't really have that much to lose. They are the away team.

"If they lose, it's not going to change the stature of the Ryder Cup or their stature as a team. To me, Rory will be a lightning rod for the fans.

"I don't think he'll rise to the bait. I think he's going to stay above the fray, because he doesn't want another occurrence like Rome and I think that'll be better for his concentration and just for his experience.

"And then when this is all over, he can savour this great year and really look at it in the longview. I think he'll go to 2026, you know, he talks about the Olympics and other goals at the Masters.

"I think he's chasing that sixth major, and that would make him undisputedly the best European player of all time. I think the question is, will he still love the chase?

"He's been chasing it for so long, the Masters for 10 years. It looked like there was some exhaustion after that Masters. Will he still feel that energy to go after something again?

"And to me, that's the question going forward in terms of Rory's place, ultimately, in history. Right now, he's got a place. He's a Grand Slam winner, he's done an incredible amount. But he's got some years and he's young, and he's great. He could still do a lot. It all depends on what he feels inside."

McIlroy has enjoyed a remarkable campaign both on the PGA Tour and in the majors. The Northern Ireland ace claimed his maiden victory of the campaign at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, before edging out JJ Spaun for the Players Championship crown following a thrilling play-off the following month.

McIlroy then secured the much-coveted Career Grand Slam in April at the Masters, adding the elusive Green Jacket to his trophy cabinet alongside his US Open, PGA Championship and Open Championship titles. Despite a slight dip in form, McIlroy bounced back at this month's Irish Open, clinching victory in a play-off against Joakim Lagergren after both finished on 19-under-par.

However, McIlroy is all too aware of the formidable competition he faces at Bethpage Black this weekend, particularly from Keegan Bradley's finely-honed Team USA. Long-standing adversary, Bryson DeChambeau, joins forces with OWGR No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and experienced pro Xander Schauffele as part of the tournament's home team. And McIlroy and his team-mates will need to be on top form to defend the title they won two years ago.