Rory McIlroy knew he was going to be asked about the PGA Tour changes announced Tuesday morning, so he was doing some reading heading into his press conference ahead of the 2026 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
"I knew one of you was going to ask me about it," McIlroy joked with reporters.
The question was a specific one. McIlroy was asked about the Tour saying they still had work to do as part of the strategic alliance with the DP World Tour and determining how many cards – and to which series – the top DP World Tour finishers would receive. Those converations are ongoing, but for McIlroy, he didn't shy away with what he thought about the Challenger Series.
"I guess from my point of view I don't see any reason why a DP World Tour player would
go to the Challenger Series," McIlroy said. "I don't see that as an upward move in your career. I see it as a very lateral move.
"So it would just be, OK, how many cards is reasonable to give to the DP World Tour for the Championship Series? I would imagine that's sort of what they're, what the ongoing discussions are. But I guess from DP World Tour, I mean, obviously I'm a dual member, but I just don't see. ... you're really trying to create something on this Tour that is a viable alternative to the Challenger Series. Obviously this is going to be a pathway to the Championship Series. No one's going to argue that the Championship Series is going to be the highest level of Tour golf that you can play, and then it's just deciding what an adequate number of cards is to go from here to the Championship Series."
The Championship Series will feature 24 events, with the Players Championship, the four majors and the playoff events being a major part of the schedule. The Challenger Series will essentially become a new second-tier tour, with 144-player fields, smaller purses and avenues to the Championship Series.
But McIlroy doesn't see how it is more beneficial than the DP World Tour.
"I just don't see it as an upward move in your career," he continued. "I see it more as like a lateral move. So why would you, you would only give the opportunity to DP World Tour members if they were progressing in their career, and I don't see the Challenger Tour as a progression from the DP World Tour, and I would say a lot of players would feel similarly here."
There are still plenty of details to be ironed out about the new competitive format, and the PGA Tour and DP World Tour have to determine how their partnership will work into the future.
But for McIlroy, he made his thoughts clear, backing the DP World Tour and again vouching support for his second home.
Cameron Jourdan is an assistant editor of Golfweek, covering college and amateur golf, the PGA Tour and plenty more. Follow Cameron on X/Twitter (@Cam_Jourdan) or Instagram (@GolfweekJourdan).
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Rory McIlroy calls PGA Tour Challenger Series a 'lateral move' from DP World Tour players
