McIlroy bashes proposed PGA Tour schedule ahead of U.S. Open

Rory McIlroy. Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Rory McIlroy bashes proposed PGA Tour schedule ahead of U.S. Open

By Jack Dougherty | Last updated Jun 16, 2026 12:28 PM ET

The PGA Tour is close to finalizing a two-track system for its future schedule — one track highlighting the best 120-130 players in the world and the other giving less accomplished players a chance to earn promotion to Track 1.

As much as PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp seems to like the proposal, World No. 2 Rory McIlroy isn't a fan. Speaking to reporters ahead of the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, McIlroy voiced his concerns on the two-track model, saying the tournaments that slide to Track 2 will lose their luster.

"Track 2 is a glorified Korn Ferry event," McIlroy said Tuesday, per Golf Channel. "That’s what Track 2 is going to be."

McIlroy specifically defended the RBC Canadian Open, the third-oldest continuously running tournament on the PGA Tour. If the RBC Canadian Open gets relegated to Track 2 in the new schedule, it won't be able to attract McIlroy and other top players. In that instance, the Canadian national open could lose all sponsor interest and fade into oblivion.

"I just think there’s going to be certain events that might lose their stature if a sponsor doesn’t pony up $30 million, so that’s the tough thing," McIlroy said. "But, look, I’m not in those rooms. … I play my schedule, and I’ll continue to play my schedule, which is getting less and less as the years go on."

Rory McIlroy thinks the PGA Tour is trying too hard

Rory McIlroy on potential changes coming to the PGA Tour schedule and the "false economy" created by LIV: pic.twitter.com/FR88Fg0oJd
— Fried Egg Golf (@fried_egg_golf) June 16, 2026

In the proposed schedule, which would start in 2028, the two-track system would resemble a promotion-relegation structure. Track 1 would include 15-18 events with at least 120 players. The top 90 players on the points list at the end of the season would retain their Track 1 status for the following year.

As for Track 2, it would be similar to the EFL Championship in England, with the top 20-30 golfers in Track 2 at the end of the season being promoted to Track 1. McIlroy believes the PGA Tour is overcomplicating this issue, and the best solution would be to simply return to its old schedule.

"It’s funny; they’ve done all this work, and you start to realize that the way the Tour was before LIV came along was actually pretty good," he said. "It was a pretty good structure, and everything sort of worked pretty well. LIV created this false economy where we had to up prize funds and had to cut fields and try to support the top players and all that stuff, which I think needed to happen because that was the only way to retain talent at the time, but now that LIV looks like it's less of a threat, I think, as I said, the old ways of the PGA Tour weren’t actually that bad."

The PGA Tour policy board is expected to vote on the proposed schedule on June 22 ahead of the Travelers Championship.

Jack Dougherty

Jack Dougherty has been writing professionally since 2015, contributing to publications such as GoPSUSports. com, Centre Daily Times, Associated Press, and Sportscasting. com

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