Rory McIlroy is gearing up to take part in his eighth consecutive Ryder Cup this season. He was the first golfer to qualify for Team Europe through the Ryder Cup Rankings. Recently, McIlroy gave an interview with the DP World Tour, where he discussed one of the most emotional Ryder Cups ever, the 2006 edition.The emotional part about the 2006 Ryder Cup stemmed from the heroic performance by Darren Clarke. Just weeks before the tournament, his wife, Heather Clarke, tragically passed away at the age of 39 from breast cancer. Despite this loss, Darren accepted the wildcard selection from captain Ian Woosnam to compete for Team Europe.The golfer delivered an outstanding performance, finishing with a record of 3 wins, 0 losses and 0 ties. Clarke's amazing performance gave Team Europe a significant advantage, leading them to victory in that year's Ryder Cup with an overall score of 18½–9½. At the time, Rory McIlroy was an amateur golfer and was attending the last day of the tournament from the stands.The 36-year-old golfer shared how he was cheering for his team from the stands on the final day of the tournament. He said: "2006 Ryder Cup, pretty emotional Ryder Cup with everything that happened to Darren Clark. I think that was something, you know, gave the European team something to really rally around. I remember a few things about that Ryder Cup, but I came here in person on the last day, on the Sunday. I remember standing in the grandstand on the first tee watching everyone basically tee off, which was really cool." View this post on Instagram Instagram PostRory McIlroy also shared his thoughts on his future in the Ryder Cup, stating that he has no interest in becoming a captain.Rory McIlroy talks about the significant responsibilities that come with being a Ryder Cup captainAmgen Irish Open 2025 - Previews - Source: GettyAs a crucial figure in Team Europe's Ryder Cup legacy, Rory McIlroy has played a vital role for the team, prompting speculation about his potential to lead as captain in the future. There were even rumors suggesting he could serve as a playing captain, but the golfer dismissed these suggestions, highlighting the extensive workload that a team captain must manage.The golfer noted that two decades ago, everything was more straightforward, but now team leaders are required to deliver speeches and participate in interviews, making the role of a playing captain rather hectic. McIlroy stated via Sportstar: "There’s a lot of things that people don’t see that the captain does the week of the Ryder Cup, especially now that the Ryder Cup has become so big. If you’d have said it 20 years ago, I’d say, yeah, it was probably possible to do, but how big of a spectacle and everything that’s on the line in a Ryder Cup now, I just think it would be a very difficult position to be in."Rory McIlroy further elaborated that serving as a playing captain puts someone in a position to be a "fox in the henhouse".