The PGA Tour is set to undergo a schedule overhaul starting from the 2028 season. However, world No. 2 Rory McIlroy is not a big fan of the proposed changes.

At Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, during the 2026 US Open press conference, McIlroy raised questions about the “two-track” structure and pointed out that the status of big events like the Canadian Open would take a hit if they were moved to the second tier.

“Track 2 is a glorified Korn Ferry event. That’s what Track 2 is going to be. 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,” said McIlroy.

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp revealed the proposed changes in the schedule at the Players Championship in March. Next week, at the Travelers Championship, he is expected to give an update on the new schedule.

As far as we know, Track 1 will include around 16 events with purses in the $20 million to $30 million range, 36-hole cuts, and 120-player full fields.

On the other hand, Track 2 will feature lower-ranked players competing for promotion to Track 1. 

LIV Golf significantly changed the professional golf landscape, and McIlroy shed light on that.

“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. It was a pretty good structure, and everything sort of worked pretty well,” said McIlroy.

The traditional PGA Tour model included over 40 events. Barring the majors and the playoff events, every event was considered equal, unlike the current signature-event model.

McIlroy acknowledged that the changes were brought about for retaining top-ranked players, whom LIV Golf was luring with massive purses and contracts.

However, at the moment, LIV Golf seems to be under an investment crisis and isn’t posing much of a threat to the American Circuit.

Thus, McIlroy subtly suggests a return to the longstanding model rather than what Rolapp is proposing at the moment.

Rory McIlroy Discusses Both The PGA Tour Changes And Shinnecock Hills

The Shinnecock Hills Golf Club has a reputation for being one of the toughest courses in the world.

The last two U.S. Opens, which were held at the Long Island course in 2004 and 2018, were played under extremely challenging conditions. 

“It’s a great golf course,” McIlroy said. “I think it’s the best championship test in the country.” 

Ahead of the U.S. Open, the Irishman revealed that he had to sort out his driver issues. That will be one of the crucial aspects at the New York course.

“I think it tests all aspects of the game. Driving, iron play, you need to have your wits about you around the greens. It’s a lot of strategy, thoughtfulness,” said McIlroy.

McIlroy will look to secure his second major of the season and also his second U.S. Open title at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club this week.

Do you think the Two-Track is a sustainable model? Share your opinions in the comments.

Read more on Club Golf

Written by

Avishek Sarkar

Edited by

Rudra Dubey