Rory McIlroy and co have unusual plan to tactic to win Ryder Cup in USA

Rory McIlroy has disclosed that the European squad have been equipped with virtual reality headsets featuring personalised taunts to prepare them for the hostile American spectators at the Ryder Cup. Team Europe captain Luke Donald transported his squad via charter aircraft to New York following the BMW PGA Championship for a two-day preparation camp at Bethpage Black.

However, the European captain has already begun readying his players to cope with the boisterous atmosphere - with President Donald Trump set to attend the opening day - by distributing the VR devices to his 12 players during Tuesday's team meal. The Masters champion revealed that participants can select their preferred intensity of hostility and chuckled: "You can go as close to the bone as you like."

Players are able to simulate striking the opening tee shot at the Long Island venue while enduring jeers - complete with authentic New York accents.

And McIlroy elaborated: "The VR sets are to simulate the sights and sounds and noise. That's the stuff that we are going to have to deal with. So it's better to try to desensitise yourself as much as possible before you get in there.

"It is individual abuse. They said: 'How far do you want this to go?' And I said: 'Go as far as you want'. You can get them to say whatever you want them to say. So you can go as close to the bone as you like.

"What did it say? You don't want to know. Not for publication. Do I have thick skin? I'm trying to develop one. You know you're not going to be up against not just a great team but the crowd as well. That brings its challenges."

The fiery Ulsterman earned the nickname Rocky McIlroy as he took on US caddies Joe LaCava and Jim Mackay in Rome.

He also had a confrontational encounter with an American fan who was subsequently removed for hurling abuse related to his ex-fiancee Caroline Wozniacki during the 2016 Ryder Cup.

"There is a line that shouldn't be crossed but I think that was on me to not react the way that I did," confessed McIlroy. "I understand that you have to do a better job of putting the blinkers on and not seeing and hearing everything out there as well."

McIlroy ended his final round before the Ryder Cup with a birdie-eagle, shooting a closing 65 at Wentworth to finish on 12-under par. He nearly scored a career-first albatross on the Par-5 4th, almost holing an iron from 205 yards.

I played much better," said the world No. 2. "I'm trying to get the crowd to cheer here and I'm trying to keep them as quiet as possible over in the States.

"It's a bit of a different thing. It was my last competitive round going into the Ryder Cup, so it was really nice to finish on a high."