Rory McIlroy Emphasises Freedom In Choosing His Tournament Schedule For 2025

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Rory McIlroy plans to continue selecting his tournament schedule, even after missing key events in 2025. He is currently second to Scottie Scheffler in the FedEx Cup standings as they approach the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. This year marks the first time since 2019 that season-long leaders won't have starting strokes.

McIlroy skipped three signature events this season: the Memorial Tournament, The Sentry, and the RBC Heritage. He also missed the FedEx St Jude Championship, the first playoff event. Despite these absences, he remains committed to the DP World Tour and will compete in India, Australia, and the Irish Open before year's end.

The Northern Irishman completed his career grand slam at the Masters in April. He intends to approach next year's schedule similarly to this year. "I'll always look at the schedule at the start of the year and see what best fits me and my life," McIlroy stated. This includes balancing family and other opportunities outside golf.

He noted that this year involved skipping some signature events but might adjust next year. "Next year I might skip less, I might skip the same amount," he said. The flexibility of being a PGA Tour player allows him to choose his schedule freely, which he plans to continue leveraging.

The 2026 PGA Tour will introduce a ninth signature event with the Miami Championship at Trump National Doral from April 30 to May 3. This change means two majors—the Masters and U.S. Open—and three signature events will occur within seven weeks during April and May.

McIlroy views these schedule changes positively. He believes golf gains momentum from January through March, peaking with Augusta's Masters. Maintaining this momentum through subsequent weeks with events like the U.S. Open is beneficial for golf's popularity.

While acknowledging it's a busy period for players, McIlroy appreciates not having to travel extensively during this stretch. "It's quite a workload for players...but it's not as if we're having to travel halfway around the world," he remarked.