Rory's had his fill of wake-up calls at the Ryder Cup

Mention wake-up calls for McIlroy at the Ryder Cup and thoughts inevitably turn to the first miracle of Medinah: how Lombard Deputy Police Chief Pat Rollins managed to ferry the World No 1 through Ryder Cup traffic with minutes to spare.

Yet the Ulsterman's first awakening to the scalding intensity of golf's most exciting event came two years earlier at Celtic Manor, where he found himself in hot water before even a ball was struck.

Today, as two tribes gather for the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, few are better qualified than McIlroy to explain how this event pushes the world's finest to the nerve-jangling edge, giving them the greatest rush in golf.

McIlroy counts four Majors among 15 victories in a seven-year professional career that, by age 25, has yielded a fortune to match last Friday's Euro Millions jackpot.

Not one penny of prizemoney is on offer at the PGA Centenary Course but the stakes couldn't be higher as Europe and America's finest leave the comfort zone of regular tournament play and go into battle for their comrades, their colours and their continent.

The Ryder Cup places golfers in situations which Medinah match-clincher Martin Kaymer said "can make or break an athlete". It offers only the highest elation or crushing disappointment.

The greats relish this high-octane challenge. "I don't think you can replicate the atmosphere of the Ryder Cup at any other tournament. It's completely unique," says McIlroy. "It definitely is the ultimate buzz."

Sideshow

He acknowledges his naivety five years ago in describing it as an "exhibition", an illusion instantly shattered in 2010 when rookie McIlroy became embroiled in a stinging psychological sideshow so typical of the Ryder Cup.

He popped his head above the parapet a month earlier when he said, after a stunningly poor performance by Tiger at Firestone, that he'd love to play Woods (in that form) at the Ryder Cup. Inevitably, it made headlines; came up again in the youngster's media conference at Celtic Manor, then Woods and captain Corey Pavin gleefully kept the pot bubbling.

Crestfallen at handing the opposition this perceived edge, McIlroy was grateful when Graeme McDowell shared a fraternal beer with him late into that dark night, then was buoyed the following morning when team-mates and caddies greeted him on the first tee wearing ludicrous black curly wigs.

"I think Rory was quite upset with comments in the paper about this Tiger thing so one of the caddies came up with that idea," explained Colin Montgomerie, "to surprise him on the first tee and make him feel part of the team again."

Recalling that episode, McIlroy gave an insight into the event's dog-eat-dog nature as he added: "Look, it's the Ryder Cup. You want to gain any sort of edge you can, whether that's physical or mental. You want to get inside someone's head. That's just the gamesmanship we play. I knew exactly what they were doing and, hey, it was fine with me."

"At that point, I guess I was naive and innocent enough not to let it really affect me," he explained. "G-Mac sat up with me and then all the boys came out with the wigs next day to give me a little bit of a group huddle and make me feel really a part of the team. The camaraderie in the two European teams I've been in was fantastic and it'll be exactly the same this week."

Europe and McIlroy laughed last at Celtic Manor, then Ian Poulter brought them, and the Ryder Cup, to loftier heights in Chicago. How different might it have been if Rollins had dallied that Sunday after escorting President George W Bush to Medinah. Instead, he went straight back to the hotel and became McIlroy's knight in shining black Crown Victoria. Rollins spared the golfer a huge blight on his career. Like his passenger, he went on to bigger things, being appointed Chief of Police in nearby hamlet, Sugar Grove, last year.

Captain Olazabal cannot forget the moment he learned Rory was missing. "I couldn't believe my ears," he explained. "I was on the first tee with Luke (Donald) when Jamie Spence calls and says, 'Olly, we've a problem, Rory's not here'.

"I said, 'He must be around, at the range or somewhere. Oh come on! Jesus Christ!' Jamie calls back a few minutes later and tells me Rory's in a police car, that the officer called all his colleagues to clear a way through traffic.

"All week it usually took 20 minutes to get from the hotel to the course but that morning it took them just nine. I told JP (Rory's caddie) 'I know the kid, he'll be fine'. Couple of minutes later, Rory turns up with an energy bar in his mouth, hits a couple of putts and the rest is history."

Calculations

Unbelievably, when McIlroy checked his tee-time on TV the night before, he didn't know the Golf Channel operates strictly to US East Coast time, which is one hour ahead of Chicago, leaving him one hour out in his calculations.

"I was in my hotel room and had a couple of missed calls," he said. "I was like, 'Why are they ringing me? I've got two hours'. Then a knock came to the door from one of the European Tour people, who told me, 'You've got half an hour before your tee-time'. Obviously I panicked and got ready as soon as I could. We already were in a bad position at 10-6 overnight and the last thing they needed was me having to forfeit a game because I was late."

He doesn't dwell on what might have been: "Don't really want to think about that. I'd have felt terrible letting down the team, especially had it come down to a point. I'm just lucky it worked out, I was able to get to the tee and win."

Ironically, he rates his 2 and 1 victory over Keegan Bradley as his best game at any Ryder Cup. "I was just hoping to keep it together, keep it tight for the first six holes, after that get into some sort of a rhythm," McIlroy added. "Ended up I was two-up after six and thinking, 'Actually, this is okay'. Turned out it was the best golf I played all week. I was six-under for the match and beat Keegan, one of their best players."

There's no chance of him getting caught out again next Sunday at the Gleneagles resort. "It's not something that's ever going to happen again," McIlroy smiles. "I could roll out of bed onto the first tee this time so there's no commuting. I should be okay."

Apart from that dramatic Sunday in Chicago, McIlroy concedes: "It's probably fair to say I've yet to play my best at the Ryder Cup.

The first one, in Wales, I was trying not to make mistakes or to let the team down, which really isn't the way you should play. I won a couple of points and ended up getting a good half with Stewart Cink on Sunday.

"But I still feel I've done well enough. I got three out of five points at Medinah so I contributed well enough there, though I haven't really been firing on all cylinders in a Ryder Cup yet.

"I haven't been firing on all cylinders the last couple of weeks either. That's why last week was important to have off, so I can feel as fresh as I possibly can coming into this Ryder Cup. I know if I can focus on myself, play the best I can and win points, that's the best way to help the team."

McIlroy played a key role in Paul McGinley's election as captain by publicly nailing his colours, as World No 1, to the Dubliner's mast on the eve of the deciding vote 20 months ago. Now he wants to do everything he can to help McGinley achieve a victory he richly deserves.

"I'm going to be trying extra-hard not just for the team but for Paul as well because I'm a huge fan of him as a man, a golfer and a captain," he explained. "Paul's has been very good to me over the years on Tour, reaching out to me. I'm looking forward to playing under him. He'll do a fantastic job.

"Nowadays the captain only gets one chance. It wouldn't be right if he didn't end up winning because he has such a fantastic record at the event. It has meant so much to him, it would be a bittersweet ending if it wasn't to work out for us this week against a strong US team."

Nothing can be taken for granted in the pressure-pot atmosphere, McIlroy insists. "The big thing is you're not just playing for yourself. If you don't play well at the Ryder Cup, you're letting down your mates, your captain, everyone involved with the team and everyone supporting it.

"Those are big responsibilities," he explained. "But that's the challenge I like the most. I haven't been in a situation where it all comes down to my point, so I can only imagine what Martin Kaymer was feeling over that putt on 18 to retain the Ryder Cup.

"I don't care if you've a putt from that distance to win a Major, you're going to feel more pressure over a putt to win a Ryder Cup. Martin handled it incredibly well and it was one of the best moments of his career," added McIlroy.

"Hopefully, one day I'll get to emulate that because I believe it's the ultimate challenge in golf: to win a Ryder Cup not just for yourself but for everyone else."