Rory McIlroy has urged the PGA Tour to protect the future of the Scottish Open as the circuit prepares to introduce a two-tier competitive format in 2028.
The four-time major champion expressed concern that the new structure, which splits events into a Championship series and a Challenger series, could exclude the Scottish Open from the top tier and diminish its prestige.
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“We've got to be careful with that because then these national opens lose the fabric of what they are,” said McIlroy, who won the Scottish Open in 2023.
He argued that strict field limitations contradict the open nature of a national championship.
“You can't call yourself a national open any more if it's a closed-off tournament,” he added.
McIlroy emphasized that historic events like the Scottish Open deserve special treatment compared to regular PGA Tour stops.
“These events need to be treated differently than the Travelers Championship or RBC Heritage,” he said.
The tournament at The Renaissance Club is co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, attracting 14 of the world's top 20 players this week, including world number one Scottie Scheffler.
Scheffler supported keeping the Scottish Open in the premier tier, noting it allows American players to prepare for The Open Championship on a links course.
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“It needs to work within the new schedule,” he said.
He added that the format benefits from consistently matching top players.
“Having similar guys playing against each other on great golf courses week in and week out is the best way to set up our schedule,” Scheffler said.
Scottish player Bob MacIntyre expressed confidence the tournament will remain strong, even without the $20 million purses planned for the Championship series.
“I personally think the Scottish Open is going to be totally fine,” he said.
MacIntyre noted that European events operate under different economic conditions.
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“It would be a bit mad to put a $20m event in Scotland given the world we live in today,” he added.
