Rory McIlroy has stated that he will play even less in 2026. This year he has already significantly reduced his schedule compared to 2024. He has gone from 27 weeks competing to 23. Right now, he has 21 plus the upcoming tournaments in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. However, he has introduced a very relevant nuance. The DP World Tour remains untouched. That is, the ones he will cut will be in the PGA Tour. It is his absolute commitment today with the European Circuit.
“I will play even less than I have played this year. I think I will play the same number of tournaments on the DP World Tour, if not more, but I have already hinted that I will play a bit less throughout the year. Truly prioritising the major championships and some other more important tournaments. The world of golf does a great job of keeping you… like you’re on the hamster wheel. And sometimes it’s good to get off that wheel and do things your way. If I want to compete for another ten years, like for example Justin Rose, I have to remember that I’m no longer 23 and can’t maintain that schedule. So, to try to have the longevity I want, I will have to cut back my schedule a bit in the coming years to ensure I don’t get injured and play to the extent I want,” he stated.
Rory in 2025 played the following:
– Hero Dubai Desert Classic
– AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am
– Genesis Invitational
– Arnold Palmer Invitational
– THE PLAYERS
– Houston Open
– Masters
– Zurich Classic
– Truist Championship
– PGA Championship
– RBC Canadian Open
– US Open
– Travelers Championship
– Scottish Open
– The Open Championship
– BMW Championship
– The Tour Championship
– Irish Open
– BMW PGA Championship
– Ryder Cup
– DP World India Championship
– Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
– DP World Tour Championship
If we dare to speculate on McIlroy’s 2026 schedule, we could say that the Zurich Classic, a pairs tournament he has played with Shane Lowry for two consecutive years, might be dropped, and little else. It would be rare for him to drop the Houston Open the week before the Masters given how well he did last year. Another option is that the Truist Championship might be dropped. There’s little else he can cut from the PGA Tour. As for adding another week on the DP World Tour, the most likely would be the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Any other tournament would be a surprise, although a national Open like Australia shouldn’t be ruled out.
McIlroy took the opportunity to explain that he loved the experience in India and did not rule out returning with his family. Specifically, he said he has a pending visit to the Taj Mahal and Rajasthan. In this regard, he spoke of tournaments he would like to win and that are not yet in his record. The two most important are the Memorial and the Genesis at Riviera, in both cases because their hosts are Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
Another one he is eager to win is, precisely, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The main reason is that he has been very close many times. Too many. He has played it 13 times with the following record:
– 2nd (four times)
– 3rd (five times)
– Top 5 (ten times)
– Top 25 (twelve times)
At Yas Links, he has played twice and finished in twelfth position in 2022 and third last year.
