Dubai, UAE …
Rory McIlroy is sure to leave the European Tour slightly red-faced with a decision not to take-up 2019 membership.
McIlroy made the revelation ahead of this week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
McIlroy, and now aged 29, joined the European Tour soon after the 2007 Walker Cup and brilliantly secured his Tour card in just his second event by finishing third in the 2007 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
He then captured the first of his current 23 pro victory titles in winning the 2009 Dubai Desert Classic and with success heralding, in many ways, the dawn of a new and exciting chapter in the history of the European Tour.
Rory McIlroy to leave the European Tour red-faced with a likely decision he will not be a member in 2019 (Photo @tourmiss)
The PGA Tour had not had Tiger Woods and with McIlroy quickly becoming the European Tour’s new banner golfer
McIlroy has since captured four Major Championships and also has been crowned European Tour No. 1 on three occasions – 2012, 2014 and 2015.
But if McIlroy is not a member of the Tour in 2019, and he is strongly hinting, then he will be ineligible to qualify for this week’s DP World Tour Championship.
And McIlroy’s decision is much to do with a totally revamped schedule for 2019 with the Players Championship moving back to March, the PGA Championship moving to May and with the BMW PGA Championship shifting to a September date.
“The way the schedule has worked for next year, it is going to be different for a lot of guys.,” said McIlroy.
Rory McIlroy ahead of the 2018 DP World Tour Championship (Photo – @tourmiss)
“Everything is going to be so condensed between March and August, and that is why I am taking a big off-season to get myself ready, and to have that break and give myself … impose an off-season on myself to then go at it hard from March all the way through to basically the end of the season.
“As for remaining a member of both Tours? I don’t know. Right now I am sort of … I’ve got two events on my schedule in Europe and I don’t have to commit to that until next year. I am starting my year off in the States (Tournament of Champions) and that will be the big focus of mine up until the end of August and then we will access from there. I’ve couple a couple ‘pure’ European Tour events on my schedule up until the end of August. I guess my thing is that I want to play against the strongest fields week-in and week-out and for the most part of the season that is in America.
“If I want to continue to contend in the Majors and to continue to contend in the Majors, and to continue my journey back towards the top of the game, then that’s what I want to do.
“But yep, right now that is all sort of up in the air but if it were to be that I don’t fulfil my membership next year, it’s not a Ryder Cup year so it’s not the end of the world. I am always going to want to play the Ryder Cup, so if anything if that does happen so be it and I will try and make the Ryder Cup team the year ago.”
Mcllroy admitted, and if he were not to rejoin the European Tour, it would be a big shift in his schedule.
“It is a big shift but I think it’s good for a lot of reasons,” he said.
“It is good for the European Tour because they have events to shine. Wentworth is going to be in September, the Italian Open and a lot of the big events are going to be post the PGA Tour season so they are not going up against the American season, so they are going to be biggest events and strongest events in the world that week which is a good thing. S
“So, I think that will work out well.”
