Rory McIlroy is worried that golf might lose one of its oldest traditions if the PGA approves a big change.
Rory McIlroy has shared his worries that golf might lose one of its oldest traditions if the PGA Tour approves a big rule change.
Right now, McIlroy is getting ready for The Open Championship, the last major tournament of the 2026 golf season. It will be held at Royal Birkdale in Southport, a course he really enjoyed playing at in 2017. Back then, he tied for fourth place with a final round score of 67, although he finished seven shots behind the winner, Jordan Spieth.
Before the 2026 Open, McIlroy will play in the Genesis Scottish Open, an event run by both the DP World Tour and PGA Tour. Because of this, top players from both tours can compete at the North Berwick course.
However, the Scottish Open might change because the PGA plans to introduce a two-tier system starting in 2028. This would split the schedule into two parts: a Championship schedule featuring top players like McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, and a Challenger schedule. Players in the Challenger tier wouldn’t be allowed to play in Championship events unless they earn promotion at the end of the season or win two events in one season. The Scottish Open is expected to be a Challenger event, so this year could be McIlroy’s second-to-last chance to win it for a while if the change happens.
McIlroy has asked the PGA to make sure that national opens like the Scottish Open don’t lose what makes them special. “Since this event became co-sanctioned, it’s really grown,” the two-time Masters champion told reporters on Tuesday. “Look at the strong field this week and the great sponsor, Genesis. They’ve kept improving the course and facilities every year.”
He added, “I don’t know how it all fits with Track 1 and Track 2, but I see how well this event has done and think it’s a model for many national opens. We need to be careful because these national opens could lose their identity if they become closed tournaments with only certain players. You can’t call it a national open anymore.”
McIlroy said these events should be treated differently from tournaments like the Travelers Championship or RBC Heritage, which might be part of the Championship series.
A total of 156 players will compete in the 154th Open Championship, starting on July 19. This includes the top 10 finishers from last year’s Open, the top 50 in the Official World Golf Rankings, and the top 25 in the current Race to Dubai standings. Past champions aged 60 or under can also play if they want.
Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington, who now mostly play on the PGA Tour Champions, have signed up based on this rule. But several former winners like John Daly, Phil Mickelson, Zach Johnson, and Tiger Woods have decided not to play at Royal Birkdale.