Rory McIlroy has urged PGA Tour chiefs not to disrupt the blueprint of the Scottish Open, while Bob MacIntyre hopes the Renaissance event remains unchanged, calling it 'mad' to host a $20 million tournament in Scotland in the current climate.
McIlroy Warns Against Closing Off National Opens
Speaking ahead of the Genesis-backed showpiece in East Lothian, McIlroy addressed concerns that tournaments like the Scottish Open could become closed off under the PGA Tour's proposed two-tier model for 2028. 'We've got to be careful with that because then these National Opens lose the fabric of what they are,' he said. 'You can't call yourself a National Open anymore if it's a closed-off tournament and there's a certain number of guys.'
The event, co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, has attracted a glittering field ahead of next week's Open. However, the PGA Tour's plans for a Championship Series with 23 to 24 events worth $20 million each annually pose challenges regarding fields, inclusion, and scheduling.
McIlroy Praises Scottish Open as Blueprint
McIlroy emphasised that national opens should be treated differently from regular tour events. 'I think these events need to be treated differently than, you know, the Travelers Championship or RBC Heritage or whatever else that are going to be in the Champions Series. There's a little bit more nuance with these tournaments for sure.'
He added: 'Since this event has been co-sanctioned, it really has gone from strength to strength. These strong National Opens, this, to me, is the blueprint of what it can be and what can happen. I think this is a perfect lead-in to The Open Championship.'
McIlroy also suggested the Canadian Open could become co-sanctioned leading into the US Open, building a series of meaningful national opens. 'I don't know how that fits into the Track 1 and Track 2 and all that stuff, but I see this event and I see how well it's done over these past few years and I definitely feel like it's the blueprint for a lot of the other National Opens.'
MacIntyre Questions $20 Million Scottish Event
Bob MacIntyre, a former Renaissance winner like McIlroy, shared his perspective on the future. 'I don't know to be honest. I keep asking. I actually asked the same question about the Canadian Open. I just leave that to the powers to be. I know there's International Swing and I think they were planning on having that August to whenever it was. I think they have got to make exceptions at times.'
He expressed confidence that the Scottish Open would remain before The Open. 'I think The Scottish Open has got to be before The Open. I think it will be. I think there will be exceptions. I don't know. I have not spoken to anybody about it. So I personally think The Scottish Open is going to be totally fine, if I'm being honest with you.'
On the financial aspect, MacIntyre added: 'I don't see it being a $20 million event. I see it being a Rolex Series/European Tour, like high-end European Tour event. I think it would be a bit mad to put a $20 million event in Scotland when the world we live in today. It's not the same as America, do you know what I mean? It's more realistic on that terms of the money side of it.'
