Rory McIlroy has been told he “got it wrong” following his dismissive remarks about not wanting to join PGA Tour Champions when he turns 50.
The 36-year-old is still playing at an elite level, having won the Masters earlier this year. He is currently tied for the lead going into the final round at the Scottish Open after overcoming a challenging few months since Augusta.
When asked ahead of the 2025 Players Championship in March about potentially playing on the PGA Tour Champions in the future, McIlroy responded with a firm “absolutely not”.
“I think when I’ve achieved everything I want to achieve in the game and I get to the point where I don’t think I can maybe do that anymore,” he said. “I’d also like to walk away with a little bit left in the tank. I don’t want to be out there embarrassing myself. I’d like to walk away maybe a little before I should. Put it that way.
“Look, I’ve said a lot of absolutes in my time that I’ve walked back, but I do not envision playing Champions Tour golf. Something has gone terribly wrong if I have to compete at golf at 50.”
Veteran golfers from the Champions tour, including former Open Championship winner Ernie Els, took issue with those comments. The Big Easy hit back with: “Interesting to read @McIlroyRory comments today. At 35 years old I was also bullet proof saying things about not playing past 50.
“I’m 55 now and laughing at my comments from back then. @ChampionsTour golf is so fulfilling with a great bunch of players we all grew up together from junior golf. Our sponsors and partners are wonderful companies and people. Competition is a powerful tool!”
Players become eligible to compete on the Champions Tour when they turn 50, meaning McIlroy still has plenty of time to change his stance. And his former agent, Andrew ‘Chubby’ Chandler, took issue with the world No. 2’s belief that players only compete on the senior circuit for extra cash.
Chandler began by telling Betway: “That can be from being unsettled at home. It can be because his game’s not quite right. It’s easy for him to say right now, ‘I’m not right’. But I think he’ll reset completely, and he’ll go again next February with a brand new attitude and mind again.
“He owes nobody anything apart from himself. Because he’s still an underachiever in a funny sort of way. He should have won his Grand Slam 10 years ago.
“So I think you’ll find that he comes next year and has a full go at it again, and he’ll retract his senior statement in about 10 years’ time because that’s what he does, isn’t it? I mean, the Ryder Cup was an exhibition when he was with me. Look at him now.
“He’s not bad at turning back as he changes his mind. That senior comment will definitely be like that because they don’t play for the cash.
“He’s got it wrong. He thinks they’re playing for the cash. They’re not. They’re playing because they like competing at golf.
McIlroy said on Saturday that he is close to his Masters-winning form after putting himself in prime position for another Scottish Open title with a third-round 66 to share the lead. He began the day four shots adrift of overnight leader Chris Gotterup but ended it level with the American on 11 under.
Looking ahead to next week’s Open Championship, where his sole victory came in 2014, McIlroy reflected: “I think I’ve had a little bit of a lull, which I feel is understandable. When you do something that you’ve been dreaming your whole life to do, it was a huge moment in my life, my career.
“I think I just needed that little bit of time. And to be back here for the last couple weeks, and feel like I could actually digest all of it, I feel like I came to this tournament with renewed enthusiasm and excitement for the rest of the year.”
