Title: McIlroy Embraces 'Part-Time' Status to Maintain Life Balance

Rory McIlroy has reaffirmed his commitment to a selective approach to the PGA Tour’s revised schedule, stating that continuing to "pick and choose" his tournaments is essential for maintaining equilibrium in his personal life. The six-time major champion has significantly reduced his playing load in recent years, competing in just two events since securing the Masters title in April.

This strategy comes amid broader changes to the tour, which PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp recently outlined. The new structure features a tiered system with promotion and relegation, alongside expanded "signature events" boasting 120-player fields and 36-hole cuts.

"I’ve been doing this for a long time," said the Northern Irish star, noting that he has spent more than half his life on tour. Jokingly referring to himself as a "part-timer," McIlroy explained his rationale: "So I’ll pick and choose my spots like I have been doing sort of the last 18 months to two years. Does it mean it makes it harder for myself to win the FedExCup or whatever the season-long title race is going to be called? Absolutely. But I'm OK with that because it brings balance to my life and lets me enjoy things outside of the game."

After a hiatus following his tied-seventh finish at the US PGA Championship, the 37-year-old returns to competition at this week’s Memorial Tournament. His absence from the Jack Nicklaus-hosted event last year marked the first time he skipped the Ohio tournament since 2017, a decision that also saw him miss two signature events: The Sentry and the RBC Heritage.

Despite the reduced schedule, McIlroy remains driven to add specific victories to an already illustrious resume, which includes a career Grand Slam, 45 professional titles, and six Ryder Cup wins for Europe. He identified the Memorial and the Genesis Invitational, sponsored by Tiger Woods, as two events he is eager to conquer.

"I would say here and Tiger's event at Riviera, they're the two that I would love to win," McIlroy said. His best result at Muirfield Village is a tied fourth place from 2016. He also expressed a desire to win at Bay Hill, noting he has yet to claim the title while Arnold Palmer was alive. "So I always thought it would be cool to win here and take that little walk up the hill off the 18th green and shake Jack's hand."

McIlroy highlighted his nearly two-decade friendship with Nicklaus, describing the legendary golfer as "nothing but great to me and my family," and called the Memorial a tournament he "would love to get done."

Looking ahead to the US Open at Shinnecock Hills later this month, McIlroy revealed he conducted a scouting visit to the New York course earlier in the week. He missed the cut at Shinnecock during the 2018 US Open. While he was encouraged by conditions observed before the previous year’s championship, he emphasized the critical role the USGA must play in managing green speeds to avoid the difficulties seen in recent Opens.

Historical issues at the venue include Phil Mickelson’s 2018 incident involving a moving ball on sun-baked greens, and the 2004 tournament where the seventh green was deemed unplayable and required watering during the final round after players putted off the surface into bunkers.

"The fairways are very generous. They're more generous than they were in 2018 but the first cut of rough is five inches long," McIlroy observed. He noted that greens are currently rolling at speeds of 11 to 11.2 on the Stimpmeter, with speeds exceeding 12 considered fast. For comparison, last year’s US Open at Oakmont saw speeds between 13 and 14.

"I really don't think they need to get much faster," he said. "I think if they can keep them at that speed they can get them firm and use the hole locations that they want to use without having some of the struggles that they have had the last couple of US Opens. It's all about them just maintaining the green speeds really where they are, not getting them too out of hand, and I think it will be a great week."

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-06-03 16:41:35 UTC