Rory McIlroy can break strict PGA Tour rule due to loophole that 'only applies to him'

Rory McIlroy is set to break one of the PGA Tour's strictest rules this season — and he won't be punished for it.

McIlroy won back-to-back Masters in April, edging Scottie Scheffler by one shot at 12-under to become the first man to defend the green jacket since Tiger Woods in 2001-02. It was his sixth major.

His other two majors of 2026 went differently, finishing T7 at the PGA Championship at Aronimink, where Aaron Rai became the first English winner since 1919.

At the US Open he was 6-over and outside the top 30 at Shinnecock Hills, fading with a back-nine 40 on Saturday as Wyndham Clark won wire-to-wire.

McIlroy has played just nine PGA Tour events in 2026 and has confirmed plans to feature in both The Genesis Scottish Open and the Open Championship take him to 11, and the three FedEx Cup playoff events would leave him on 14; one short of the 15-event minimum a regular member must play to keep their card.

McIlroy has already skipped three signature events — the Cadillac Championship, the RBC Heritage and the Travelers Championship — using the week of the Travelers to scout Royal Birkdale ahead of The Open.

Falling below the minimum should, on paper, cost a player their Tour status.

Martin Kaymer lost his full membership for the 2016 season after missing it but McIlroy is set to break the rule and not face punishment.

The handbook lets the commissioner waive the minimum for a foreign member for "medical reasons or other extraordinary circumstances”.

According to Bob Harig, the PGA Tour will not take any action against McIlroy for falling short of the minimum events.

Harig claims the PGA Tour contacted him to make him aware of the rule in the handbook which would see McIlroy escape without punishment.

Legendary golfer Seve Ballesteros wasn't so lucky after playing just just nine PGA Tour events in 1985 — six short of 15 — and the policy board voted to ban him for the entire 1986 season.

On his schedule, McIlroy said: “I've been doing this a long time, I've been on Tour longer - 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."

McIlroy still has chances to make up his minimum 15, with the 3M Open, Rocket Classic and Wyndham Championship taking place after The Open and before the FedEx Cup Playoffs.