'Part-timer' McIlroy will continue to pick and choose events

ByMatt Gault

BBC Sport NI elder journalist

Rory McIlroy says helium volition proceed to "pick and choose" the events helium plays connected the PGA Tour's new-look docket "because it brings equilibrium to my life".

The six-time large victor has been much selective with his docket implicit the past mates of years and has lone played 2 tournaments since retaining his Masters rubric successful April.

Earlier this year, PGA Tour main enforcement Brian Rolapp unveiled proposals for the circuit's future, which includes promotion and relegation betwixt antithetic tiers of tournaments and much "signature events" with expanded fields of 120 players and 36-hole cuts.

"I've been doing this a agelong time. I've been connected circuit much than fractional of my beingness astatine this point," said Northern Ireland's McIlroy, who joked that helium feels similar a "part-timer these days".

"So I'll prime and take my spots similar I person been doing benignant of the past 18 months to 2 years.

"Does it mean it makes it harder for myself to triumph the FedExCup oregon immoderate the season-long rubric contention is going to beryllium called? Absolutely. But I'm OK with that due to the fact that it brings equilibrium to my beingness and lets maine bask things extracurricular of the game."

After taking immoderate clip disconnected pursuing the US PGA Championship - wherever helium finished tied seventh - McIlroy returns to enactment astatine this week's Memorial Tournament.

Last year, the 37-year-old opted to skip the Jack Nicklaus-hosted lawsuit successful Ohio for the archetypal clip since 2017, having besides missed 2 signature tournaments astatine The Sentry and RBC Heritage.

The satellite fig 2 admitted the Memorial is 1 of 2 tournaments - on with the Tiger Woods-fronted Genesis Invitational - helium is hopeless to adhd to a decorated CV that features a vocation Grand Slam, 45 nonrecreational wins and six Ryder Cup triumphs with Team Europe.

"I would accidental present and Tiger's lawsuit astatine Riviera, they're the 2 that I would emotion to win," said McIlroy, whose champion decorativeness successful 13 appearances astatine Muirfield Village was tied 4th successful 2016.

"I've been fortunate capable to triumph astatine Bay Hill, but not portion Arnold [Palmer] was alive. So I ever thought it would beryllium chill to triumph present and instrumentality that small locomotion up the elevation disconnected the 18th greenish and shingle Jack's hand.

"Also, Jack and I stock a bully history. We've known each different present for astir 20 years, oregon I've known him for astir 20 years. He's been thing but large to maine and my family. So this is surely 1 I would emotion to get done."

This week's Memorial volition beryllium McIlroy's past lawsuit earlier this month's US Open astatine Shinnecock Hills - and helium revealed helium undertook a scouting ngo to the New York people earlier this week.

McIlroy missed the chopped erstwhile Shinnecock past hosted the US Open successful 2018, and portion helium was buoyed by what helium saw earlier this year's championship, helium outlined the value of tourney organisers the United States Golf Association (USGA) maintaining power of the greenish speeds.

In 2018, Phil Mickelson apologised for putting a moving ball connected Shinnecock's sun-baked greens, portion successful 2004 the par-three seventh greenish was called "unplayable" and had to beryllium watered during the past circular aft 2 players putted disconnected the greenish into bunkers.

"The fairways are precise generous. They're much generous than they were successful 2018 but the archetypal chopped of unsmooth is 5 inches long," said McIlroy.

"The greens are rolling astir 11, 11.2 [anything implicit 12 is considered accelerated and past year's US Open astatine Oakmont was betwixt 13 and 14], thing similar that and I truly don't deliberation they request to get overmuch faster.

"I deliberation if they tin support them astatine that velocity they tin get them steadfast and usage the spread locations that they privation to usage without having immoderate of the struggles that they person had the past mates of US Opens.

"It's each astir them conscionable maintaining the greenish speeds truly wherever they are, not getting them excessively retired of hand, and I deliberation it volition beryllium a large week."

Grouped with two-time large victor Justin Thomas, McIlroy begins his bid for a archetypal Memorial triumph astatine 15:25 BST connected Thursday.