Rory McIlroy Outlines Future: Playing Less, Retiring Young?
September 10, 2025
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At the age of 36, Rory McIlroy has achieved practically everything in professional golf. So much so that he has declared winning an away Ryder Cup as his next major career goal, something he already accomplished in 2012 as part of the European team that starred in the “Miracle at Medinah.”
Whether or not he achieves this milestone in two weeks at Bethpage Black, completing the career grand slam during the current season has undoubtedly given him a new perspective on his career. Although initially unclear, McIlroy has been outlining ideas about what his future in golf looks like, and everything seems to indicate that he will work with two principles: play less and retire relatively young.
Speaking with reporters covering the BMW PGA Championship, where he will be playing this week, McIlroy discussed some ideas about how he intends to manage his schedule in the coming seasons.
“At this point I want to play golf when I want to play golf,” he said, according to the transcripts. “I want to play in the locations that I love to go to, and I want to play the majors and the Ryder Cup. That’s it. I’m not going to be going by minimums or anything else. Like I’ll obviously do my bit to make sure I keep my membership and all that on certain tours, but I’m going to play where I want to play.”
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy waves to fans as he walks up the 18th fairway on day four of the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush golf club in Northern Ireland on July 20, 2025. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy waves to fans as he walks up the 18th fairway on day four of the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush golf club in Northern Ireland on July 20, 2025. HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP/Getty Images
This season, McIlroy played 16 PGA Tour events and has competed in two DP World Tour events so far. His schedule for the rest of the year includes the Ryder Cup and four other DP World Tour tournaments, including this weekends’ at Wentworth Club, as well as the Australian Open. This brings the total to 22 events.
The exhibition event announced for December, in which he will face Scottie Scheffler, each leading a four-player team, should be added to the count.
As if that wasn’t enough, McIlroy will begin 2026 by playing two European Tour events before the start of the new PGA Tour season.
Rory McIlroy’s Retirement Plans
While Rory McIlroy’s annual tournament count isn’t unusually high compared to other professionals, his schedule stands out for its global reach, spanning multiple tours and continents. Nevertheless, in a sport where many players compete well into their 60s, such a workload rarely prompts thoughts of early retirement.
Yet, the five-time major champion has suggested that his career will not follow an extended trajectory. Though he hasn’t cited fatigue as the cause, he has made it clear that he doesn’t envision playing as long as many of his peers. He’s not planning to retire anytime soon, but he has been adamant that he doesn’t plan to play as long as many of his peers.
“I was asked about this at The Players, even before I won The Players, and I said the same thing,” he said, according to the transcripts of his press conference ahead of the BMW PGA Championship.
“I don’t want to be grounding out here at 50 years of age. I’ll turn up and play the majors and have a nice time but you know, whenever I’m done, I’m done, whenever that is. That’s certainly not right now, but I’m certainly closer to that point now than I was in 2007 when I turned pro.”
To fans’ relief, McIlroy’s form this season suggests he’ll continue making waves in world golf for years to come.
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