‘This is so much better’: Rory issues verdict on rumoured PGA shake-up after ‘incredible’ Aus Open

Rory McIlroy has welcomed the prospect of the PGA Tour moving to a more condensed schedule in the future, which would increase the spotlight on tournaments like the Australian Open.

McIlroy was the biggest drawcard at Royal Melbourne this week, and while he never seriously contended for the title – finishing in a share of 16th at -7 – he delivered for Australian golf as massive crowds turned out to catch a glimpse of the career grand slam winner.

Photos and videos of the swarms of people lining the fairways as well as surrounding tees and greens have gone around the globe at the same time rumours have emerged out of the United States of a shortened season for the PGA Tour.

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It has been alleged the biggest tour on the world is exploring reducing its calendar to roughly 20 events from February to August.

McIlroy, who has been a major spokesman for the PGA Tour in recent years, revealed to reporters at Royal Melbourne that he is for the proposed change.

“Yeah, I think I understand what they’re doing. They’re trying to get their domestic model right before focusing internationally, and they obviously don’t want to go up against football,” he said.

“NFL is king in the States, and it makes sense from an American point of view, but then I think it does let international and global golf shine for five months of the year.

“So if the Tour are really thinking about playing from February through to August, that leaves September through to January for here and Europe and wherever else in the world to really be the shining light of golf for that five months.

“So I think people could really get behind that. And you sort of have the American swing with maybe the Scottish Open and The Open in the middle, but the rest of the big international stuff sort of in that September to January time frame, which I think works pretty well, especially for the southern hemisphere, for tournaments like this.”

The Australian Open would have the perfect launching pad to become an event that grabs the spotlight if the PGA Tour do clear the decks during the southern hemisphere summer.

This week’s event has clashed with the Tiger Woods hosted Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas as well as fellow DP World Tour event the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa.

But the golf world has been most infatuated with the happenings at Royal Melbourne.

PGA Tour player Max Homa took to social media to say: “Instagram has me feeling like I gotta play in Australia next year. Looks heavenly.”

Homa would almost certainly be one of several top American players with their interest in a trip down under piqued by the brilliant crowds and stunning golf course.

Asked about Homa and other PGA Tour players potentially joining him at Kingston Heath next year, the Masters champion took the chance to poke fun at the American has struggled with form of late, before offering his serious verdict.

“I think he’d have to qualify first,” he said of Homa with a laugh.

“But yeah, no, look, it would be amazing. I think the scenes and just how this tournament has looked on TV all week, you have that, have that on in Europe or back in the States or whatever, and it makes an impact.

“I said this earlier in the week, but if you compare this tournament to the other two tournaments going on in the world of golf this week, there’s no comparison.

“Yes, the field in The Bahamas is stronger than the one here, but in terms of atmosphere, of golf course, basically everything else you’re looking for in a tournament, I can’t think of many better than this.”

McIlroy was also asked if the Rory mania that has swept over Royal Melbourne this week was what he expected when he committed to coming down under to play the Australian Open for the first time since he returned to defend his title in 2014.

While others may have been blown away by weekend crowds of more than 30,000 and fans almost bursting through the gates at the crack of dawn on Thursday morning, McIlroy said the pandemonium what was he thought would greet him.

“Yeah, I think so. I think everyone knows what a great sports town Melbourne is and how people here really get behind the events that are put on, whether it’s this or Aus Open tennis or the F1 or you name it, anything else that goes on here,” he said.

“Obviously the AFL and yeah, I remember that the atmosphere, even when I played up in Sydney was amazing as well. That weekend I played against Adam at Royal Sydney was one of the coolest atmospheres I played in.

“So yeah, just absolutely, it’s been incredible and even Matt McCarty and I were talking about it out there and I said, ‘oh, what brought you down here?’ He said, the golf course, said ‘I really wanted to play a tournament at Royal Melbourne’.

“And he said, I mean, you compare this to a majority of PGA Tour events, this is so much better.

“So I think everyone really appreciated the atmosphere that they played in this week, and hopefully it’ll be the same next year at Kingston Heath and hopefully the tournament sort of grows from here and sort of gets back to the stature that it deserves.”