Rory McIlroy is facing the prospect of being barred from the Scottish Open in 2028 under the PGA Tour's revamped structure. The 37-year-old is currently battling to claim victory at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, chasing the crown for the second time in his career after winning in 2023.
McIlroy's warning to golf chiefs
McIlroy finds himself among a formidable field featuring 14 of the world's top 20 players, all competing for the £1.17million champion's prize. Yet the PGA recently unveiled proposals to overhaul the tour, potentially making him ineligible to participate in the Scottish Open in two years' time.
The PGA revealed last month that the tour would be divided into the Championship series, featuring McIlroy and other elite-ranked players, and the Challenger series. Under the framework, set to be implemented in 2028, Championship tournaments will carry a minimum prize fund of £14.9m ($20m), considerably surpassing the Scottish Open's £6.7m ($9m) total.
McIlroy's concerns over national opens
Under the restructuring, as a Championship competitor, McIlroy would be prohibited from entering Challenger tournaments. The six-time major champion has called on the PGA to make sure that prestigious events, such as the Scottish Open, are not undermined by the new regulations.
"We've got to be careful with that because then these national opens lose the fabric of what they are," McIlroy said. "You can't call yourself a national open any more if it's a closed-off tournament and there's a certain number of guys."
McIlroy added: "These events need to be treated differently than the Travelers Championship or RBC Heritage or whatever else is going to be in the Championship series."
Scottie Scheffler backs McIlroy
The Scottish Open currently allows PGA Tour and DP World Tour players to go head-to-head. The PGA's fresh proposals would restrict PGA golfers to their designated series. However, any player who secures two Challenger circuit victories in the same season would earn promotion to the Championship tier.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has backed McIlroy's position on maintaining his eligibility for the Scottish Open in 2028. "It needs to work within the new schedule," Scheffler said. "It's an important one that we keep it in the Championship Series just because you get so many guys that come over here and play the week before [The Open]."
The Scottish Open kicked off on Thursday and will conclude on Sunday at the Renaissance Club. The golfing world will then shift its focus to The Open, which takes place at Royal Birkdale next week.
