McIlroy eyes Ryder Cup

MADRID – Northern Irish teenager Rory McIlroy plans to continue last week’s exhilarating form at the home of golf all the way to next September’s Ryder Cup.

After clinching his card with a third place in the Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews on Sunday, McIlroy was rewarded with an invitation to this week’s Madrid Open. The 18-year-old sees no reason why he cannot claim his first European Tour title now in his third outing as a professional but his ultimate goal is to make his Ryder Cup debut just a year after playing in the Walker Cup.”If I made the Ryder Cup team it would be unbelievable,” McIlroy told Reuters on Wednesday.”Playing Walker Cup in 2007 and then Ryder Cup in 2008 would be funny.I don’t think many people would have done that.”It would be a great achievement but it’s something I am trying not to think about too much.McIlroy’s first target is the $212 000 first prize at the Real Sociedad Hipica club this week.If he succeeds he will become the youngest winner on the European Tour.Nampa-AFPThe 18-year-old sees no reason why he cannot claim his first European Tour title now in his third outing as a professional but his ultimate goal is to make his Ryder Cup debut just a year after playing in the Walker Cup.”If I made the Ryder Cup team it would be unbelievable,” McIlroy told Reuters on Wednesday.”Playing Walker Cup in 2007 and then Ryder Cup in 2008 would be funny.I don’t think many people would have done that.”It would be a great achievement but it’s something I am trying not to think about too much.McIlroy’s first target is the $212 000 first prize at the Real Sociedad Hipica club this week.If he succeeds he will become the youngest winner on the European Tour.Nampa-AFP