The 2024 PGA Tour has grabbed the spotlight in golf news. Besides the adrenaline rush flowing through the golfers, the ’24 schedule also brings along a lot of changes and a fair share of controversies. While the previous merger-related rift was just settling down with Jay Monahan improving his relations with other players, another contradiction has surfaced regarding the coming year’s PGA Tour schedule.

Now, there is a difference in opinions relating to the cut system and penalty among the tour members. And once again, the 15-time major winner, Tiger Woods, has proven his supremacy with his absolute verdict. Here’s the catch: It comes against another prominent golfer, and more than that, a friend—Rory McIlroy.

Tiger Woods takes a stand opposite his close pal Rory McIlroy’s

Woods has recently taken up his newfound role on the PGA Tour. He would no longer be remembered just for being a legendary golfer or Hall of Famer. Now he has a new identity! The 15-time major winner is the sixth player Director on the policy board, as announced last Tuesday by Jay Monahan. While his inclusion was supposed to resolve and mend the previous bruises within the Tour, his new decisions have already started conflicting with those of others.

To elaborate, for the first time in a decade, the PGA Tour will feature events without a cut. As per Golfweek’s recent report, of the twelve designated events, i.e., lucrative purses and limited field events, for next season, eight will not see players being cut. The four that will feature the Tour’s regular 36-hole cut include the Players Championship, the Woods-hosted Genesis Invitational, the Memorial Tournament, and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

So what held back these prestigious events from being exempt from the new rule? Well, putting it simply, Woods did. Yes, the golf god has given out his verdict, and he prefers his old-school notion of the game. In an interview, he stated, “I still think that there needs to be a penalty for not playing well, and every event shouldn’t be always guaranteed 72 holes. I think that there should be a cut there.”

Surprisingly, however, Woods’ stance doesn’t align with that of many other PGA Tour stars. Among the many who are not fully opposed to the idea is one of the golf legend’s closest friends, Rory McIlroy. The 4-time major winner is also joined by Patrick Cantlay and Ian Poulter, who additionally believe that no-cuts may not be so bad after all!

What do Rory McIlroy and the other Tour pros have to say about the no-cut rule?

The Tour’s no-cut rule undoubtedly has the golf world, including the players, divided. And McIlroy, Cantlay, and Poulter are some of the strongest competitors for the championship. In an interview, the Irishman showcased his support for the no-cut system and shed light on the fact that since LIV Golf followed the no-cut system, people were not updated about it. “The only reason no-cut events are a big deal is because LIV has come along,” he stated.

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Patrick Cantlay similarly voiced support. He said that the Tour adopting no-cuts would work out well as it would prove to be competition for LIV. “I think in general, if a company or a product doesn’t have competition, the incentive to innovate is low,” he said.

Poulter, on the other hand, chimed in, saying that copying LIV was just part of the learning curve. “Imitation is not just the sincerest form of flattery — it’s the sincerest form of learning.”

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It seems like the friends on the Tour have been split apart by golf’s latest hot topic. Which side of the fence in this debate do you stand on? Let us know in the comments below.