'I Hit A Bit Of A Wall' - Rory McIlroy Says He Plans To Reduce Schedule In 2025

The 35-year-old has admitted that his packed schedule in 2024 has taken a toll and that he won't be making quite as many starts next year

Rory McIlroy takes a shot at the Tour Championship
Rory McIlroy says he'll have a lighter schedule in 2025
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Rory McIlroy plans to reduce the number of tournaments he plays next year after a punishing schedule throughout 2024.

The 35-year-old began the year with two events in Dubai before preparations for April’s Masters started in earnest, with McIlroy adding the Valero Texas Open and the Cognizant Classic to his already busy schedule as he attempted to complete his career Grand Slam at the Augusta National Major.

McIlroy fell short of that dream, but despite that disappointment, afterwards, he admitted he was “loving golf at the moment,” and sure enough, the busy schedule continued.

There was success along the way, too, with wins at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside Shane Lowry and at the Wells Fargo Championship, but his only notable break came with a four-week reset after the crushing disappointment of defeat to Bryson DeChambeau at June's US Open.

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry celebrate victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Rory McIlroy won the Zurich Classic of New Oreans with Shane Lowry in April as his busy schedule continued

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Following his finish of 12th at the Tour Championship, McIlroy still has commitments this year, including the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth later this month, but he admitted afterwards that he couldn’t keep up the pace in 2025.

He said: “Yeah. My season is not over, obviously. I've still got five events left to play. But yeah, it's been - I feel like the tournaments came thick and fast, and obviously with the Olympics thrown in there, as well, this year, it sort of condensed everything a bit.

“It's been a long season, and I'm going to just have to think about trying to build in a few extra breaks here and there next year and going forward because I felt like I hit a bit of a wall sort of post-US Open, and still feel a little bit of that hangover.”

Despite that, McIlroy’s form has generally held up well since his Pinehurst No.2 near miss, including top-five finishes at the Genesis Scottish Open and while representing Ireland at the Olympics.

Rory McIlroy takes a tee shot at the Genesis Scottish Open

Rory McIlroy finished T4 at the Genesis Scottish Open, but his schedule has taken a toll

(Image credit: Getty Images)

However, his six-tournament run since July also included another disappointment at a Major, with a missed cut at The Open, adding to the sense that his tactic of loading his schedule had only been partially successful.

When asked how many tournaments he will have played by the end of the year, McIlroy replied: “27.” 

He was then asked how many is too many. His answer was the same: “27.” He continued: “I'm usually sort of like a 22 sort of person. But again, that was when I was sort of in my 20s and didn't have the responsibilities that I do now.”

So, how many events can we expect McIlroy to play in 2025? He answered that too: “I'm going to try to cut it back to like 18 or 20 a year going forward, I think.”

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Mike Hall
News Writer

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.