
Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy has suggested that the PGA Tour should consider reducing its number of events, warning that golf fans may become fatigued by the overwhelming amount of content now available.
Speaking ahead of his first PGA Tour event of 2025 at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, McIlroy emphasized that the traditional PGA Tour offering has been “diminished” due to increased competition from other golf formats, including the LIV Golf circuit, Tomorrow’s Golf League (TGL), and rising YouTube golf content.
‘Too Many Events on the PGA Tour’
McIlroy, who has been an outspoken critic of LIV Golf, suggested that the PGA Tour might benefit from adopting a model similar to the NFL, which has a limited but high-impact season:
“I can see when the golf consumer might get a little fatigued of everything that’s sort of available to them. So to scale it back a little bit and maybe have a little more scarcity in some of the stuff that we do, like the NFL, I think might not be a bad thing.”
He added:
“I think 47 or 50 tournaments a year is definitely too many.”
Currently, the PGA Tour hosts nearly 50 tournaments annually, offering multiple playing opportunities but also stretching the attention span of fans and players.
Maintaining Golf’s Tradition While Enhancing the Product
Despite advocating for a leaner schedule, McIlroy warned against over-commercializing golf to match newer, more entertainment-focused formats:
“I don’t think we should try to dumb down golf to appeal to more people. Golf is golf at the end of the day. It’s been this way for hundreds of years. I really like the way golf is, and I think a lot of other people do, too.”
However, he acknowledged that the entertainment value of professional golf could be improved and that the sport should find a way to balance tradition with modern appeal.
Addressing Slow Play and Field Size Issues
One of the biggest challenges facing the PGA Tour is pace of play, with tournaments often lasting longer than necessary.
While smaller field sizes could improve the flow of play, McIlroy noted that this approach would limit playing opportunities for many golfers:
“There’s a lot of different answers, but not every answer is going to make everyone happy. Smaller fields would help pace of play, but that takes away playing opportunities from people.”
Additionally, he pointed out that tighter tee times in winter months lead to more congestion on the course, exacerbating slow play issues.
“If you could space the tee times out a little bit more, that would hopefully make things flow a little bit better.”
What’s Next for McIlroy?
McIlroy kicks off his 2025 season at Pebble Beach, setting his sights on winning the Masters to complete his career Grand Slam. With the golf calendar packed with events, his suggestion for a streamlined PGA Tour schedule could spark further debate among players, fans, and organizers.
Do you agree with McIlroy that the PGA Tour should reduce its number of events? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!