"We have to move with the times" - Rory McIlroy urges PGA Tour reforms amid reports of major schedule cuts

Rory McIlroy has advocated for major reforms in the PGA Tour amid the reports of the Tour exploring major schedule cuts. The ace golfer stated that they had to move with the times.

Rory McIlroy was recently present at the CNBC CEO Council Forum, where he touched upon various things. However, before he delved into other topics, he was asked if the PGA Tour needed some 'feathers to be ruffled' after the hiring of Brian Rolapp as CEO.

"I think so," he replied. "Golf is very… like, it’s entrenched in its traditions and its values, and that’s a good thing. I think that’s something that golf can lean into, but at the same time, you know, we have to move with the times, and we have to try to bring golf into the 21st century."

I mean, look at where we're doing this today, you know, with TMRW Sports and TGL. And I think his (Rolapp's) experience in the NFL, and being such a great sports executive for such a long time, that can only be a good thing for the Tour," he added.

For the uninitiated, there are some reports of the PGA Tour looking to cut down the schedule to just 20-22 events in the coming years. This isn't the first change that the PGA Tour has made to attract fans.

Notably, the PGA Tour first brought the Signature Event concept, where the top stars were compelled to play and the events had a huge purse size. The Tour also introduced the no-cut, short-field format in some of the Signature events so that the top names could be seen on all four days.

The PGA Tour concluded its 2025 season with the RSM Classic 2025, where Sami Valimaki became the first Finnish golfer to win on the Tour. The new season will begin on January 15 with the Sony Open in Hawaii.

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Rory McIlroy says it's hard for him 'not to cry' revisiting the Masters glory

During the same event, the five-time major champion also reflected on the Masters win. He said that it was a roller coaster of a day and the feeling was hard to put into words.

"I still, if I watch that final scene on the 18th green when I drop to my knee, it’s hard for me not to cry," Rory McIlroy said. "Even eight or nine months on, it’s still hard for me not to feel those emotions again."

"But that’s the thing, If you want something for so long and so badly, and you end up doing it… you dream about doing it, but you don’t dream about what comes next. But honestly, I’d dreamt about that moment for so long, and it lived up to everything I thought it would be, and more, he added."

Notably, Rory McIlroy ended his 11-year-long major drought with a Masters Tournament victory earlier this year. The ace golfer completed his career Grand Slam at Augusta after beating Justin Rose in a playoff.