One 12 months after taking part in considerably extra golf than up to now, Rory McIlroy says he’ll in the reduction of his schedule considerably in 2025.
Talking to James Corrigan of The Telegraph, McIlroy revealed that he hopes to play in 18 or 19 occasions in 2025. Subsequent week’s DP World Tour Championship, through which McIlroy is all however assured to win a sixth Order of Merit, will mark his twenty seventh match on both the DP World Tour or PGA Tour this season.
“There’s a couple of tournaments that I performed this 12 months that I don’t often play and that I may not play subsequent 12 months,” McIlroy mentioned to The Telegraph.
“I performed the Cognizant [Classic] in Palm Seaside Gardens, [the Valero Texas Open in] San Antonio, and the [RBC Heritage in] Hilton Head. And I’ll most likely not play the primary playoff occasion in Memphis. I imply, I completed mainly useless final there this 12 months and solely moved down one spot within the playoff standings.”
McIlroy started his 2024 season within the Center East, dropping to Tommy Fleetwood on the Dubai Invitational. He then bounced again with a victory on the Hero Dubai Desert Basic, a match he’ll play once more in January 2025.
After his victory in Dubai, McIlroy started his PGA Tour schedule at Pebble Seaside after which performed in 5 extra occasions earlier than The Masters. As a part of his prep for Augusta National, McIlroy wanted to play more, not much less. However sadly for the Northern Irishman, that didn’t translate into profitable the Inexperienced Jacket, one thing he has been chasing his entire profession. A win at Augusta would give McIlroy the profession grand slam.
Nonetheless, he won’t play as a lot on the PGA Tour subsequent season, hoping to reach on the 4 majors feeling refreshed and able to go. He’ll seemingly make his PGA Tour season debut at Pebble Seaside once more, after which play on the Genesis Invitational at Riveria. His subsequent occasion will seemingly come on the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, not the Cognizant Basic. Then, McIlroy will play The Gamers, seemingly his final occasion earlier than The Masters in April.
What follows after April stays to be seen, but it surely feels like he won’t play within the FedEx St. Jude Championship, both. But, these developments needs to be no main shock. McIlroy, as a member of the Transactional Committee, is working to assist negotiate a concrete settlement with the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Funding Fund (PIF). He additionally had a whirlwind of a 2024 season, which noticed a U.S. Open heartbreak and unlucky off-the-course developments in his household life. Enjoying 27 occasions clearly takes a toll, too, so be ready to see much less of McIlroy, no more of him, in 2025.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying Via. Be sure you try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.