Rory McIlroy spoke big words about a more global future for golf at the start of 2024 – now he is putting his money where his mouth is. His tournament calendar for 2025 looks much more international than in previous years. The Northern Irishman wants to play less in the USA and focus more on tournaments that have fallen into oblivion for many professionals, especially national Opens with a long history.
Rory McIlroy: From Oakmont to Portrush
Right at the start of the summer, the first of several national championships gets underway: Rory McIlroy plays the Canadian Open, followed by the U.S. Open in Oakmont as the third major. The Travelers Championship in Connecticut is then on the agenda before things get more international – the Scottish Open on traditional links soil, followed by the Open Championship in July. However, the tournament at Royal Portrush is closer to a home game than almost any other.
This will be followed by the hot phase of the FedEx Cup play-offs in the USA. It remains to be seen whether Rory McIlroy will play all three stages. He already hinted in advance that he might miss the first event in Memphis. After that, his focus will clearly shift back towards Europe and Asia.
Finale in Asia and Australia?
September takes McIlroy to the Irish Open at the K Club – another building block in his “National Open” strategy. The flagship event of the DP World Tour, the BMW PGA Championship in Wentworth, follows immediately afterwards. After that, he will probably be part of the European Ryder Cup team. And then comes a special highlight: McIlroy’s first participation in the DP World India Championship in New Delhi – a completely new tournament that will be held for the first time in 2025.
The DP World Tour Playoffs will follow in November and December – and then another National Open date: the Australian Open at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club. Rory McIlroy returns to a place where he has not played for over a decade – this time with a two-year contract in his pocket. The tournaments in India and Australia are part of the “Back 9” phase of the DP World Tour and lead directly to the final in Dubai, which McIlroy also plans to play in.
Rory McIlroy’s schedule moving forward: National Open National Open (Oakmont 😉) Travelers National Open (His national) Open Championship FedEx Playoffs National Open (Irish) DPWT Flagship Ryder Cup India Championship (brand new) DPWT Playoffs National Open (Aussie) — Sean Zak (@Sean_Zak) May 21, 2025