Rory McIlroy defends himself and Scottie Scheffler and claims they are doing exactly what Tiger Woods used to

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Rory McIlroy is back in PGA Tour action this week as he takes on the Truist Championship at Quail Hollow Club.

McIlroy hasn’t played since The Masters last month at Augusta National, where he successfully defended his title.

In fact, the Northern Irishman has only made five starts on the PGA Tour in the 2026 season, one of which he withdrew during due to injury.

The six-time major champion has now shed light on the schedule, referencing his PGA Tour rival Scottie Scheffler, who has made nine starts this season.

Rory McIlroy claims he and Scottie Scheffler are copying Tiger Woods

Explaining why players skip some events, McIlroy told SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio: “We have our minimum events, but we can pick and choose what those events are.

“I think people are just going to have to expect that this is the way it’s going to be. That’s what Tiger [Woods] used to do.

“He picked and chose what events he wanted to play, where he felt like he had the best cadence to his schedule and he had the best chance to win.

“And I think what Scottie and I are doing at the minute is no different.

“But the thing is, to me, I think what we’ve realized over the past four or five years, the value in professional golf lies more with the platform rather than any individual player.

“Because we’re all replaceable. We all come and go, we all pass through the system. But the thing that remains is the platform of the PGA Tour, and that’s the valuable thing.

“So my argument is it would be great to get everyone playing every single week, but I just don’t think that’s possible.

“But the value is the platform, and if we can put across the best possible product that we can, even if that means sometimes guys missing out on events here and there, I think that’s the best way forward.”

Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images

Rory McIlroy has earned the right to decide his PGA Tour schedule

Of course, McIlroy’s comments arrive at an intriguing time for the PGA Tour, which could be preparing to welcome back a handful of players from LIV Golf.

It will be interesting to see if PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp decides to favor any individuals while still having the best interests of the overall product in mind.

As for McIlroy and Scheffler, tournaments are undoubtedly more appealing when they are involved, but it has become increasingly clear that that won’t always be the case.

And while it won’t please everyone, an argument can be made that McIlroy in particular has earned the right to pick and choose his events.

He’s remained loyal to the PGA Tour throughout his career, not to mention the stunning feats he has achieved from his 278 starts.

The 37-year-old boasts 30 PGA Tour victories, while his rival Scheffler has 20 wins from his 159 career starts.

Both players now have major family commitments too, and importantly their current approach has clearly worked well for the duo.

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