Rory McIlroy feels golf’s appeal has already been “diminished” by the increased options available to fans over different formats and believes the current PGA Tour schedule puts on “too many” events.
As well as the Saudi-funded breakaway LIV Golf circuit, the influence of YouTube golf continues to rise.
TOO MUCH GOLF ON TV
McIlroy himself helped set up the indoor Tomorrow Golf League alongside Tiger Woods, in which the action is played out on two highly sophisticated golf simulators.
World number three McIlroy will be back out on the course for his 2025 PGA Tour season debut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in Pebble Beach, but accepts there now are plenty of other ways for fans to get their golf fix.
“I think it already has been diminished,” McIlroy said.
“I can see when the golf consumer might get a little fatigued of everything that’s sort of available to them.
“So to scale it back a little bit and maybe have a little more scarcity in some of the stuff that we do, like the NFL, I think might not be a bad thing. I think 47 or 50 tournaments a year is definitely too many.”
McIlroy, though, does not feel the sport should stray too far from its core values.
“There is a lot of things about golf that are very different than other sports, but I think that is what makes it unique,” McIlroy told a press conference.
“I don’t think we should try to dumb down golf to appeal to more people. Golf is golf at the end of the day. It has been this way for hundreds of years.
“I really like the way golf is and I think a lot of other people do too, but I still understand the critiques of how the entertainment product could get better.”
McIlroy added: “First and foremost we are professional golfers – we want to go out there and shoot the best score possible that we can and try to beat each other.
“Hopefully people find that entertaining, and if not, then I don’t know what to tell them.”
SCHEFFLER RETURNS
Scottie Scheffler is, meanwhile, set to return from the freak hand injury which delayed the start of his 2025 campaign.
The world number one was making ravioli on Christmas Day when the wine glass he was using to shape the pasta shattered and cut his hand, with the injury requiring surgery.
Scheffler subsequently missed The Sentry and The American Express, but insists he is fully fit for his return in California.
“It’s one of those deals where immediately after it happened I was mad at myself because I was like, ‘Gosh, that’s so stupid’. But you just don’t think about it when you’re in the moment,” Scheffler said.
“It really wasn’t like terrible, but I knew I messed something up just because the way my hand wasn’t really moving much and if I did, it hurt pretty bad, so I knew something was up.”
Scheffler won seven PGA Tour titles last year, including a second Masters title.
The American is confident his recovery has gone to plan.
“Everything had healed properly. I was in a good spot and got some freedom from the doctor,” he said.
“(My) season debut, it is a little weird making it this late in the year, but it is good to be back, feeling well rested.”
