Rory McIlroy is still regarded as being among the greatest golfers, and well, he is arguably too. However, the World No. 3 decided he needed to slow down his pace. In 2023, he missed the RBC Heritage and two other designated events. According to the rule set by the PGA Tour to retain the top players, they were only allowed to miss 1 signature event. McIlroy did not oblige, and he was fined a whopping $3 million. As it turns out, he plans to skip some of the events from the 2025 schedule of the PGA Tour too, as he has his priorities set.

“There’s a few tournaments that I played this year that I don’t usually play and that I might not play next year. Well, at this point in my career… Hey, I’m 35 and have been out here for 17, 18 years, so I’m just going to go to the places that I enjoy and where I play well. Look I’ve done the hard slog, I’ve done that sort of 25 to 30 events a year. And I’m not getting any younger.” said the Northern Irishman to the Daily Telegraph. He has been playing on the Tour for almost two decades now, having joined in 2007. 

According to reports, he might skip the 2025 RBC Heritage, Texas Open, and Cognizant Classic. But will not be levied with any fine. The PGA Tour no longer has the right to charge players for skipping elevated events as per their new changes. There’s also a high chance that he might sit on it on the FedEx St. Jude playoffs in Memphis because of his disappointing performance this year.

“And I’ll probably not play the first play-off event in Memphis. I mean, I finished basically dead last there this year, and only moved down one spot in the play-off standings,” said 4x major winner. This year’s performance in Memphis was worse than what he had in 2023. Last year, finished third with a score of 14-under. McIlroy could be planning to focus on majors more, after all, it’s been over 10 years since he last won any. This year, he came close but faced another heartbreak at Pinehurst.

While he has confirmed that he will be cutting down the number of events he plays, he has also ensured to come back for a title defense in Dubai next year.

Rory McIlroy to continue his streak in Dubai

Rory McIlroy has confirmed his commitment to defend his title at the 2025 Hero Dubai Desert Classic, set for January 16–19 at Emirates Golf Club. The World No. 3 is poised to make history by becoming the first player to win the prestigious event five times. Having triumphed in 2009, 2015, 2023, and 2024, McIlroy aims for a third consecutive victory.

This year, he defeated Adrian Meronk at the DP World Tour’s event to grab the win and take home a whopping $1.53 million. “I’m thrilled to be returning to the Emirates Golf Club for the 2025 event. This is a tournament I relish playing, and continuing my run here by adding a fifth title would be special and an ideal way to kick off 2025,” he said as the early bird ticket slots open for this season.

What are your thoughts on McIlroy’s 2025 season-play? Do you think McIlroy will grab his third consecutive win in 2025 in Dubai? Let us know in the comments section below!