Rory McIlroy has confirmed he’s unlikely to play the minimum 15 events required on the PGA Tour in 2026.

McIlroy says he’s in “constant dialogue” with the PGA Tour over his expected failure to meet the circuit’s minimum-event requirement for the 2026 season.

McIlroy’s schedule has been heavily scrutinized this year as the Masters champion has decided to skip multiple signature events in favor of rest, time with family and preparation for the major championships.

The Northern Irishman, 37, skipped the RBC Heritage, Cadillac Championship and most recently the Travelers Championship.

He is currently making his 10th PGA Tour-sanctioned start of the season this week at the Genesis Scottish Open.

Regular PGA Tour members are required to make at least 15 starts each season, but McIlroy is currently projected to finish one short.

Bob Harig of The Daily Drive previously reported the PGA Tour is expected to invoke an “extenuating circumstances” provision that would allow McIlroy to retain full membership despite falling short of the minimum

And McIlroy has also confirmed to Harig that he is in “constant dialogue” over the situation, adding: “I speak to [PGA Tour chief executive] Brian [Rolapp] and his team a lot.

“Not just about that but about everything else.

“We’ll figure it out. I made them aware that this could happen at the end of last year. They know.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by GolfMagic.com (@golfmagic)

McIlroy opened up on his decision to reduce his playing schedule after the opening round at The Renaissance Club.

“The benefits are seeing my family more,” he said. “Feeling like I have a bit more balance in my life.

“And then the challenge is, I feel like even though I have played pretty sparsely over the past few months, the starts of my tournaments have all been really good.

“So it’s not like I’m coming in and starting slow, and the little bit of extra practice I think actually helps in some ways.

“I think one of the other benefits for me, like I’m nearly 20 years into this, and I need to do everything I can to keep my enthusiasm as high as possible, and playing a lighter schedule definitely does that.”

In June, McIlroy also indicated he intends to maintain a lighter schedule regardless of the PGA Tour’s planned restructuring, which will include promotion and relegation between a Championship and Challenger Series.

“I’ve been doing this a long time,” he said. “I’ve been on tour more than half of my life at this point.

“So I’ll pick and choose my spots like I have been doing sort of the last 18 months to two years.

“Does it mean it makes it harder for myself to win the FedExCup or whatever the season-long title race is going to be called? Absolutely.

“But I’m okay with that because it brings balance to my life and lets me enjoy things outside of the game.”

Article originally appeared on: Golfmagic.com