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Rory McIlroy has acknowledged that his enthusiasm for competing on the PGA Tour has diminished compared to previous years, and he's planning an extended hiatus before returning to competition.
Following a final round of one-over-par at Royal Birkdale on Sunday, McIlroy will conclude The Open Championship outside the top 30. The six-time major winner is now set to take a vacation with his wife, Erica, and daughter, Poppy.
While his on-course performance was disappointing, the week proved eventful for McIlroy, who launched scathing criticism at Bryson DeChambeau following a penalty incident during Friday's second round. This occurred as Scottie Scheffler also had a confrontation with an Open Championship rules official.
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The world No. 2 won't compete again until at least next month's FedEx St. Jude Championship, and he's been candid about his decreased passion for the PGA Tour.
"Yeah, that's fair," he responded when questioned about his waning interest in the tour. He went on to reveal that the Tour Championship format, which has all 30 qualifiers beginning on equal footing, has diminished his motivation to maintain a full schedule, reports the Mirror US.
Last year, McIlroy bypassed the St. Jude after already securing qualification for the second playoff event, the BMW Championship. The 37-year-old has been vocal about his desire to pursue a more international schedule at this point in his career.
"I think it just sort of ebbs and flows," he said of his interest in the tour. "There's been years where I've given it maybe more of my attention and years that I haven't. Yeah, I guess I'm just at a stage where I have other things that I prioritize.
"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."
This means McIlroy will compete in no more than 14 PGA Tour events this season, falling short of the 15-tournament minimum required to maintain home tour status, which allows players to compete on other tours, excluding LIV Golf, without needing a release.
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While reports suggest the tour plans to exploit a rule loophole to give McIlroy a pass, he told reporters he had yet to receive confirmation that this would be the case.
McIlroy has voiced his backing for proposed changes to the tour's format and schedule, spearheaded by Tiger Woods, which are set to take effect in 2028.
This follows Jon Rahm's explosive outburst after his Open Championship hopes were dashed on the very first hole.
