Rory McIlroy Changes Tune, Shows Support for Schedule Changes

Just one week after criticizing the PGA Tour’s proposed 2028 schedule realignment, Rory McIlroy is now on board after discussions with Tour CEO Brian Rolapp. In the buildup to the U.S. Open, McIlroy was asked for his views on the changes and the effects they would have on players. The biggest issue, he said, was the establishment of two separate tours and how they would diminish events not willing to pay the high sponsorship rates. “Track 2 is a glorified Korn Ferry event,” McIlroy said Wednesday. “That’s what track 2 is going to be.” McIlroy acknowledged he was not involved in policy discussions, but expanded on his answer with his views on the Tour’s current state of affairs. “Yeah, it’s funny,” he said. “Like I think, as they’ve done all this work, you start to realize that the way the TOUR was before LIV came along was actually pretty good.

It was a pretty good structure, and everything sort of worked pretty well.” Tour membership voted Monday to approve the recommendations of the Future Competition Committee, headed by Tiger Woods. Beginning in 2028, players will compete on the Championship and Challenger Series, two separate tours with membership determined almost exclusively by performance. The top 90 players on the Championship Series will retain membership for the following season, while Challenger Series players can earn promotion with multiple wins or the season-long standings. During Tuesday’s press conference announcing the changes, Rolapp addressed McIlroy’s comments directly, telling reporters he spoke with the four-time major champion earlier in the morning. “If you look at the Challenger Series events, they’ll be at venues you recognize,” he said. “They’ll be for healthy purses, which we announced today.

They’ll include a subset of the same 200 and change players that we have today. That is much different than what the Korn Ferry Tour is today.” In a notable shift from his comments at Shinnecock Hills, McIlroy issued a statement of his own, expressing his support for the Tour’s new direction Tuesday morning. “Today’s announcement is a positive step for professional golf,” McIlroy said. “As more details emerge, it is encouraging to see the PGA Tour reaffirming the importance of meritocracy and creating a structure that will serve both players and fans well into the future.”