Rory McIlroy is facing an unusual situation as the 2026 PGA Tour season reaches its final stage. The six-time major champion would finish one event short of the Tour’s required 15 starts for dual members. Seve Ballesteros and Martin Kaymer had both lost their PGA Tour membership for a year for violating that rule. But McIlroy might not, as CEO Brian Rolapp makes one thing clear about the Northern Irishman.

“Yeah, I think I’ve had conversations with Rory. Rory’s dedication to the PGA TOUR is clear to me. I think he feels passionately, is certainly dedicated to it,” Rolapp said ahead of the TOUR Championship 2026.

“He also feels a dedication to the DP World Tour as well given his legacy and where he’s from. We certainly have a strategic alliance with the DP World Tour which we are actively working to improve and change and extend. We continue to have those conversations. I think in my position, I have a fair amount of discretion on this matter in the bylaws. I think having Rory participating in Memphis was great, and he continues to be here at the TOUR Championship.”

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McIlroy has had 13 starts so far this season, and is now in Atlanta to play the TOUR Championship.

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Late in June 2026, Bob Harig reported that commissioner Jay Monahan has the power to give the 30-time PGA Tour winner an exemption from this rule. Now, Rolapp’s message points in a similar direction.

There’s no denying that McIlroy has been a significant PGA Tour supporter. In fact, he acted as the spokesperson for the Tour during its war with LIV Golf. He has even backed the organization’s decisions almost every time. However, his recent commitment to the PGA Tour is still in question.

When asked whether it would be fair to say that the regular PGA Tour no longer gets his juices flowing, he replied with a yes. Moreover, he has clearly stated that he is now prioritizing other things in his life, and his schedule could become shorter than it already is. This raises the question of how the PGA Tour would deal with him next time. But Rolapp is looking at removing the rule altogether.

“I think the rule itself, which was your question, I think we are questioning looking at it. It’s a rule that applies just to dual members. It’s questionable if it even has a place in our new competitive model. I think it’s one of many rules and regulations we will look at as we change the competitive model,” he added.

The PGA Tour will deploy its two-tier model starting in 2028. There will be a Championship Series and a Challenger Series. It would be one of the biggest overhauls of the PGA Tour schedule in the organization’s history. Thus, there will probably be many more changes to the Tour as well. But there’s one problem with that model that McIlroy has highlighted.

Rory McIlroy pinpoints sponsorship issues

After Rolapp announced the new model at the 2026 Travelers Championship, McIlroy warned that sponsors must pay up or some established tournaments will face demotion. The Championship Series events will have $20 million purses, and not every sponsor may have the resources to cover that amount.

“I just think there’s going to be certain events that might lose their stature if a sponsor doesn’t pony up $30 million, so that’s the tough thing,” McIlroy had said.

He even called the Challenger Series events like a glorified Korn Ferry Tour.

This is already affecting the PGA Tour. Rocket Classic, for instance, ended its title sponsorship this year. A Sompo-sponsored tournament in Napa will replace the Rocket Classic next year. Rocket Companies cited the changing PGA Tour schedule as the primary reason.

Similarly, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has ended its 20-year title sponsorship run with the PGA Tour this year. The PGA Tour expects Raymond James to take over the Greensboro event. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has not publicly blamed the two-tier model for this decision.

As the Tour prepares for major changes, it may also have to rethink how its membership rules fit players like McIlroy and the changing demands of the schedule.