McIlroy Says PGA Tour Track Two Events Risk Losing Stature

Rory McIlroy said Tuesday that certain PGA Tour events risk losing stature under the proposed two-track model if sponsors do not commit $30 million. S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.

He singled out the Canadian Open, arguing it should not be placed in Track Two. "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. "An event like last week, the Canadian Open, potentially going to one of these Track Twos ...

McIlroy added that the current environment has shifted since LIV Golf's funding from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund was curtailed. He said the earlier structure of the PGA Tour worked well before the need to raise prize funds and cut fields to retain talent.

"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," McIlroy said.

McIlroy noted he served briefly on the PGA Tour policy board in 2023 but said he has no influence over the decisions now being shaped by chief executive Brian Rolapp and the Future Competition Committee. "I play my schedule, and I'll continue to play my schedule, which is getting less and less as the years go on," McIlroy said.

At the Memorial Tournament earlier this month, Rolapp said details of the two-track model remain under discussion with the Future Competition Committee and Player Advisory Council.

He said momentum exists to announce changes later in summer 2026, though implementation is more likely in 2028 because of competitive and commercial complexity. "There's all sorts of questions. It looks like it's more '28 just because of the complexity of not only the competitive model, but also the commercial things you need to do to actually put a new competitive model in place," Rolapp said.