"Want the crowd rowdy" - $90M NBA legend pitches plan to fire up US fans against Rory McIlroy and co. at Ryder Cup

NBA star Charles Barkley has opened up about his plans for the Ryder Cup against Rory McIlroy and his team. The biennial tournament is around the corner, and this year's edition will take place in New York, America.

The U.S. team holds the record for not losing on its home soil since 2016 and would be looking forward to winning it again in 2025. The European team, the reigning champion, also has an impressive record at the Ryder Cup and is gearing up to defend the title on foreign soil.

This week, Barkley, who has a net worth of $90 million (via Celebrity Net Worth), appeared on "The Smylie Show." He opened up about the crowd in New York for the Ryder Cup.

“You know New York is going to be ready,” Barkley said (via Heavy.com). “Listen, the first thing I’m going to do, because they’re probably going to have scoreboards around, if I’m Keegan Bradley, I’m putting that Rory McIlroy soundbite up to start the matches

“I want the crowd rowdy and ready to go. … I’m playing that to start the Ryder Cup. I want ESPN, when ya’ll coming up to interview us, I want you to play that soundbite. I’m calling NBC, leading up to the match, I want you to play that as much as possible. I’m trying to make the environment as hostile as possible," he added.

Last time the Ryder Cup was held in Rome, Rory McIlroy recorded 4 points to help his team win the biennial tournament. The Europe team is returning to play this month again under the leadership of Luke Donald.

Meanwhile, for the USA team, there was a buzz surrounding whether Keegan Bradley would be playing in the event. However, the American golfer decided to participate in the tournament only as the captain.

---

Rory McIlroy opens Ryder Cup prep with strong 69 on DP World Tour

Ahead of the Ryder Cup, both the European team players and the U.S. team players are preparing for the biennial tournament by playing in this week's events on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. Rory McIlroy returned to play after his last outing at the Amgen Irish Open. He teed it up at the BMW PGA Championship with an opening round of 69. He was tied for 34th place.

This season has been fantastic for Rory McIlroy. He started his 2025 campaign on the DP World Tour. He competed at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and recorded a T4 finish, followed by a win on the PGA Tour at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

He then won the Players Championship and went on to complete his career Grand Slam at the Masters. Before this week, he competed at the Amgen Irish Open and registered a win in the game.