Rory McIlroy ready to welcome ‘cut-throat’ approach as PGA Tour put on alert

Rory McIlroy Advocates for ‘Cut-Throat’ Changes to the PGA Tour

Rory McIlroy has voiced support for a “more cut-throat” approach to the PGA Tour, proposing a reduction in the number of tour cards to make the competition more exclusive and harder to enter. Fresh off a second-place finish at the BMW PGA Championship, McIlroy is now preparing for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. He has suggested that the PGA Tour should adopt a format more akin to LIV Golf, which features smaller fields and guaranteed payouts.

McIlroy, who resigned from the PGA Tour Policy Board last year amid disagreements over changes to the tour’s format, continues to push for more competitive reforms. This year, eight designated events featured smaller fields, and legacy tournaments also saw a reduced number of participants—an approach McIlroy fully supports, despite potential backlash.

“I’m all for making it more cut-throat, more competitive,” McIlroy said. “It probably won’t be very popular to say, but I believe in fewer players and fewer tour cards, so the best of the best can compete.”

He added that while the concept of no cuts in signature events had been discussed, he would defer to the opinions of legends like Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and the late Arnold Palmer if they felt a cut was necessary.

Starting in 2025, signature events will feature a minimal field of 72 players, with an alternate list to fill any vacancies. While some have proposed a uniform cut across all events, the PGA Tour board has yet to implement such a change. McIlroy, however, emphasized the need for opportunities for up-and-coming players to qualify.

“There should be ways for players to play into it,” he said. “It’s about getting the top guys versus the hot guys. That creates a compelling product, and if you perform well for a few weeks, you should get the chance to compete in a designated event. If you continue to perform, you stay in.”

McIlroy’s vision focuses on rewarding players’ recent form while maintaining a high level of competition among the sport’s elite.