In some seven month’s time Rory McIlroy faces a delicate decision and it could result in the four-time Major winner not contesting the European Tour’s flagship 2016 BMW PGA Championship.
While new European Tour CEO Keith Pelley rightly felt proud to get McIlroy to agree to contest this week’s Turkish Airlines Open, the new Tour chief could be staring at dosing the flames of a second McIlroy started spot fire.
In the wash-up of his widely publicised ankle injury McIlroy is not about to contest four events in succession.
Rory McIlroy sprays champers over his fans while a picture of the new 2014 BMW PGA champion looks on. (Photo – www.europeantour.com)
However if you look at the PGA and European Tour schedule for May 2016 it reads:-
May 5-8 Wells Fargo Championship, Quail Hollow.
May 12-15 Players Championship, TPC Sawgrass
May 19-22 The Irish Open
May 26-29 BMW PGA Championship.
McIlroy is defending champion at Quail Hollow and is playing host for a second year running at the Irish Open.
He’s not going to miss the Players Championship so if he sticks with the notion of not playing four events in a row what event will he skip next May?
McIlroy was asked the question ahead of this week’s Turkish Airlines Open and he brushed it off remarking: “I will answer that question closer to the time.”
McIlroy has never missed a BMW PGA Championship since making his debut in 2008 while a year ago he put aside the heartache of the break-up in his proposed marriage to Caroline Wozniacki to win the event for a first occasion.
Pelley’s baptism of fire at the European Tour was to deal with the issue of granting McIlroy special permission to allow him to retain full-time 2016 Tour despite the fact he will not contest the mandatory 13 events and those dealings resulted in McIlroy agreeing to compete for a first time in the Turkish Airlines Open.
You can be assured Pelley will again be maintaining close contact with McIlroy’s management team when it comes to what events the current World No. 3 will be contesting next May.
