Rory McIlroy’s major season ended on Sunday with a whimper. The reigning back-to-back Masters champion shot a final-round one-over 71 at Royal Birkdale to finish in a tie for 40th at this Open Championship.
With his 2026 major season in the books, the six-time major champion looked to the future — but not with both eyes on the PGA Tour.
“Look, this season feels very similar to last season,” McIlroy said. “Obviously won the first major of the year, fell off a little bit after that, but still any time you win a major in a year, you have to be pleased about that. Yeah, like I haven’t really took the time to enjoy that or celebrate that. Poppy’s got another four weeks off school until she goes back, sort of middle to end of August, so just going to enjoy the summer holidays with her and Erica. Yeah, that’s what I’m looking forward to the most.
“Then obviously I’ll get back to playing and still in a decent position, I guess, in both title races. As long as I’m in the top 30 going into the Tour Championship, and then I’m in a decent spot still in the Race to Dubai. So try to play hard until the end of the season and then try to win one or both of those.”
In recent years, McIlroy has been open about his desire to prioritize his play in the four majors and step back from focusing on PGA Tour golf. That manifested in him missing the Memorial Tournament and skipping the first FedEx Cup Playoffs event last season. This year, McIlroy missed three Signature Events but does plan to return to the PGA Tour for the first playoff event this year.
Asked if it was fair to say the PGA Tour doesn’t get him as “fired up” as it once did, McIlroy agreed. As to why his interest in the American circuit has dipped, McIlroy couldn’t point to one thing. With his career at a different stage and the career Grand Slam secured, Rory McIlroy is choosing to focus his energy on different things — the bigger picture.
“I think it just sort of ebbs and flows,” McIlroy said. “There’s been years where I’ve given [the PGA Tour] maybe more of my attention and years that I haven’t. Yeah, I guess I’m just at a stage that I have other things that I prioritze. Again, the PGA Tour is in a lot of flux at the minute with a lot of their schedule and structure and everything like that. So I think the change where it doesn’t matter where you are in the top 30 going into the Tour Championship, it’s like I just need to be in the top 30 going in there to have a chance to win a FedEx Cup. So why would I care about the first two? I sort of came to that decision last year, and I’m just sort of doing the same thing.”
At 37, McIlroy has said he plans to cut back on his busy schedule and play where and when he wants. He played 26 times around the world in 2024 and 22 times last year. McIlroy also plays more often on the DP World Tour than the required four tournaments to keep his membership. He played twice in Dubai to start the year, played at the co-sanctioned Scottish Open, will defend his title at the Irish Open, is expected to play at Wentworth at the BMW PGA, will play in Australia again, and will then tee it up in the DP World Tour Championship.
That’s great for the global game. The more places McIlroy plays, the better. He has earned the right to play where and when he wants. But there is now a question surrounding his PGA Tour membership. With the Open Championship over, McIlroy has now played in 11 PGA Tour events. He will play the three playoff events, which will get him to 14. He needs to play in 15 to meet the membership requirement. McIlroy is a lifetime member by virtue of his 20 career PGA Tour wins, but the 12-start minimum for lifetime members doesn’t kick in until age 45.
That would seem to be an issue, but The Daily Drive’s Bob Harig recently noted there’s a little-known rule that could alleviate this issue for McIlroy. Per Harig, international golfers can submit an application to the commissioner of the PGA Tour to reduce the tournament requirement from 15 to 12.
Per the PGA Tour handbook:
“Notwithstanding the above, the Commissioner, upon application by a foreign member and for medical reasons or other extraordinary circumstances that the Commissioner, at his discretion, determines to be a valid reason for not playing in at least 15 PGA Tour cosponsored or approved tournaments, may reduce the 15-minimum (or 12-minimum as the case may be) tournament requirement.”
On Sunday, McIlroy was asked if he had heard if he’d be okay to play 14 events and keep his “home tour” status, which allows members of a “professional golf tournament circuit which plays all or some portion in the country of which the player is a citizen” to play as many events on that tour, in this case the DP World Tour, without needing to get media or conflicting event releases from the PGA Tour. Players are required to play at least 15 PGA Tour-sanctioned or co-sanctioned events to maintain that status.
McIlroy has said he has not heard yet if he’ll be okay playing just 14 events this year. The PGA Tour wants McIlroy to remain a member, and he likewise wants to continue as a member. His membership status will almost certainly get worked out. His agent, Sean O’Flaherty, suggested to Harig that an upcoming European event could be part of the PGA Tour-DP World Tour alliance.
All that uncertainty will get cleared up in the future. For now, Rory McIlroy will focus on enjoying another year with the green jacket before looking ahead to the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the Irish Open and another trip to Australia.
