Rory McIlroy Unlikely to Support PGA Tour Rule Change After ‘Horrific’ Masters Experience

The PGA Tour have made changes to their pace of play policy ahead of the 2025 season, though it is unlikely to satisfy Rory McIlroy after his ‘horrific’ experience at The Masters

Rory McIlroy, who has previously expressed his pace-of-play concerns, may not be a fan of the PGA Tour’s latest decision on their policy. Following frustrations at this year’s Masters where he faced lengthy rounds, the PGA Tour has revisited its rules during the offseason post-2024 season.

“It felt long, yeah,” said McIlroy after a lengthy round two at Augusta. “My golf swing felt horrific for the last six or seven holes, just from sitting around.

“Especially that 11th hole, 11 it felt like it took an hour to play that hole. Yeah, it was stop and start, hard to get into a rhythm with the conditions and obviously how slow the play was as well.”

Although the new regulations are aimed to align more closely with major tournaments, where complaints about sluggish play have been prominent, the potential reduction in fines might not be what McIlroy hoped for to address the issue. The directive notes that no fines will be issued for the first two infractions of slow play.

Although the new regulations are aimed to align more closely with major tournaments, where complaints about sluggish play have been prominent, the potential reduction in fines might not be what McIlroy hoped for to address the issue. The directive notes that no fines will be issued for the first two infractions of slow play.

Yet, a third violation would trigger a hefty fine of $5,000, and any additional incidents would attract a charge of $10,000 each. Moreover, The Rules Committee is contemplating an “Excessive Average Stroke Time” penalty for post-tournament delivery.

This means if a pro’s average stroke time exceeded 12 seconds over the field norm and they played all four rounds, a retrospective penalty could be handed down. The change has sparked diverse reactions among fans who were keen to witness the PGA Tour taking a stronger stance against slow play as we pivot into the New Year’s tournaments.

Some suggest the PGA Tour’s approach is too gentle; one irate golf fans demanded on social media: “Absolutely unbelievable. Give them 4.5 to 5 hours max. If they don’t complete the round they have to leave the course! ! That would sort it out!!”.

Others echoed the sentiment, questioning, “Don’t they realize it’s killing the viewing pleasure?”. One commenter highlighted the irony of pace priorities, “Pretty crazy. Pace of play is emphasized on every level of public play and golf association/national championship events. Get to PGA tour and it’s the opposite.”

The Sentry kicks off the PGA Tour in 2025, with McIlroy aiming to return rejuvenated and hoping to snap his decade-long major title drought. Last season saw McIlroy falter at the U.S. Open Championship, losing his lead to Bryson DeChambeau.

McIlroy revealed that he bounced back swiftly from the disappointment. Speaking at a news conference at the Genesis Scottish Open, he reflected, “I got over it pretty quickly,” and added, “The few days after it were pretty tough at times, but I feel like I’ve done a good job of thinking about it rationally and constructively and taking what I need from it and trying to learn from it. But like for the most part it was a great day. I keep saying to people, ‘It was a great day until it wasn’t.'”.