Rory McIlroy is thinking about playing less golf next year to stay fresh.
This year, he’s played in 27 events, which he feels is too many. Next week, he’ll be at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. Rory thinks that playing around 18 or 20 tournaments a year would be perfect for him moving forward. At this point in his career, he wants to focus on places he enjoys playing.
In an interview with James Corrigan from The Telegraph, Rory mentioned some tournaments he might skip in 2025. These include the Cognizant Classic and Valero Texas Open. Surprisingly, he might also miss the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head and the FedEx St Jude Championship, which is the first playoff event of the FedEx Cup.
“There’s a few tournaments that I played this year that I don’t usually play and that I might not play next year,” Rory shared. “I played the Cognizant in Palm Beach Gardens, [the Valero Texas Open in] San Antonio, and [the RBC Heritage at] Hilton Head. And I’ll probably not play the first playoff event in Memphis [FedEx St Jude Championship]. I mean, I finished basically dead last there this year and only moved down one spot in the playoff standings.”
Potential Impact on PGA Tour:
Skipping these events could worry PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan and sponsors because they want big stars like Rory to attract fans. Fans might wonder if missing these events will affect TV ratings or make it harder for people to watch exciting matches.
Hilton Head’s tournament happens right after The Masters, making it tricky for players who need rest. In 2023, Rory was fined by the PGA Tour for pulling out late from this event.
The biggest concern is losing a top player like Rory at key moments like the start of FedEx Cup Playoffs in Memphis when they need all eyes on them due to competition with LIV Golf.
Rory wants to keep enjoying golf while staying healthy as he gets older—he’s been playing professionally for over 17 years now! He said: “Well, at this point in my career… Hey, I’m 35 and have been out here for 17-18 years… Look I’ve done hard slog… I’m not getting any younger.”
What do you think? Should Rory focus more on having fun or keeping fans entertained?
