Rory McIlroy wrapped up his FedEx Cup season on Sunday at the Tour Championship in Atlanta, bringing an end to a PGA Tour season that saw him win in the team-based Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the Wells Fargo Championship.
With the fall ahead of him, and some starts still to come this season on the DP World Tour, McIlroy isn't done playing golf in 2024. However, he already knows that he plans on playing way less in 2025.
After finishing his 22nd tournament of the year, McIlroy was asked how many tournaments he'll wind up playing by year's end. McIlroy said he would make five more starts to get to 27 tournaments, including the BMW PGA Championship, the Amgen Irish Open and teaming up with his dad in the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
The follow-up question was how many tournaments McIlroy thought was too many to play in a season.
"27," McIlroy said.
The four-time major winner knows he doesn't typically play this robust of a schedule -- particularly now that he's into his mid-30s, is a part-owner of TGL and is as actively involved in shaping the futue of professional golf on the PGA Tour.
"I'm usually sort of like a 22 sort of person," he said. "But again, that was when I was sort of in my 20s and didn't have the responsibilities that I do now."
McIlroy is planning to cut back from even that 22-event figure in 2025.
"I'm going to try to cut it back to like 18 or 20 a year going forward, I think," he said.
Looking forward to 2025, McIlroy is sure to play in the four majors and The Players. He'll play in the three FedEx Cup playoff events, presuming he's eligible. That leaves 10-12 tournaments. McIlroy will defend in Charlotte and in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, which he also won this year. Expect McIlroy to play at Tiger's event at Riviera, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Memorial Tournament. That leaves a handful that could include some additional Signature events -- though probably not all -- and commitments to DP World Tour events in the fall.
He won't have the Olympics next year, and he played the Dubai Invitational, which he played to start the year, largely as a favor. However, McIlroy will have TGL and its inaugural season. While TGL events are one-day affairs, McIlroy will still have a lot to handle as a competitor and part-owner.
And, of course, it's a Ryder Cup year in 2025, with the United States hosting at Bethpage Black in New York. McIlroy has been thinking about that for the better part of a year now.
McIlroy said, "I think once Rickie gave Tommy that putt on the 16th with green I started thinking about Bethpage."
