Rory McIlroy at center of PGA controversy as players 'hold talks' on 'rule change'

The PGA Tour Player Advisory Council (PAC) has been in deep discussions at this week's BMW Championship about possible alterations to the criteria for playing and the number of competitors in the American circuit's tournaments.

The question of who gets to play on the PGA Tour has become a major debate topic over the last twelve months . The tour has been eager to ensure that its top golfers face each other more often during the season, exemplified by the introduction of the 'Signature Event' plan coming in 2024.

This new initiative has upgraded several key PGA Tour competitions , offering a whopping £15.2 million ($20m) prize purse for each, featuring only 70 players battling it out for the staggering amount, frequently without a cut.

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Typically, standard Tour events have fields ranging from 144 to 156 players; however, concerns regarding lengthy rounds due to these substantial participant numbers have come to light. As reported by Golfweek, some preeminent players serving on the PAC gathered at Castle Pines considering a vote for potential amendments.

Although there is a push from some members to shrink the number of participants to prevent tournaments from running after sunset before the 36-hole cut, those at the lower end are wary about their chances to partake being diminished. "We want every single player who earns a full Tour card to have a fair opportunity to compete on the PGA Tour," stated one unnamed golfer, reports the Mirror .

Currently, performance in the FedEx Cup standings is crucial for securing playing rights for the next season. This campaign, any player who ranks within the top-50 at the end of the regular season will receive full exemption into all mega-money Signature Events for 2025.

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Further down the ranking, Tour players who finish the year within the top-125 in the FedEx Cup list retain a full Tour card. According to the report, an unnamed player suggested that any changes need to be implemented sooner rather than later, stating: "You have to get it done for 2026 2025 is baked in but it has to be set in motion so guys know what they are playing for (next season)."

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Rory McIlroy has been a proponent of reduced field sizes and fewer Tour cards. Despite potentially upsetting some of his fellow players further down the PGA Tour hierarchy, he stated in March: "No, I mean, I'm all for making it more cutthroat, more competitive. Probably won't be very popular for saying this but I'm all for less players and less Tour cards, and the best of the best.''

He continued to discuss the debates about cut lines at the Tour's Signature Events, saying: "When all these signature events were thought of, we were thinking no cut, but if it's important enough, or if it's that important to Tiger and Jack and if Arnold were alive, if it was important enough for him, then it's their tournament, at the end of the day, and they can do whatever they want."

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