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<\/a><\/p>\nBMW PGA Championship 2025 – Previews<\/p>\n
By skipping three signature events and a FedExCup playoff event this year, Rory McIlroy has made it abundantly clear that he\u2019s content following his own schedule.<\/p>\n
And his impetus for that came from an unlikely source.<\/p>\n
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McIlroy said Tuesday, ahead of this week\u2019s BMW PGA Championship, that it was a conversation with tennis star Roger Federer that led him in part to charting his own course as a professional.<\/p>\n
Now in his 19th year as a pro, McIlroy will embark later this year on trips to India and Australia to play in those countries\u2019 national opens. Though he\u2019s always been an international player, McIlroy\u2019s additional stops were notable because of his decisions not to play in lucrative events in the U.S., including The Sentry, RBC Heritage, Memorial Tournament and FedEx St. Jude Championship.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt this point, I want to play golf when I want to play golf,\u201d said McIlroy, 36. \u201cI want to play in the locations that I love to go to, and I want to play the majors and the Ryder Cup. That\u2019s it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not going to be going by minimums or anything else. I\u2019ll obviously do my bit to make sure I keep my membership and all that on certain tours, but I\u2019m going to play where I want to play.\u201d<\/p>\n
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McIlroy competed in 16 PGA Tour events this season, one more than the minimum requirement to maintain his playing privileges.<\/p>\n
McIlroy said that a few years ago, while Federer was at the tail end of his career, the tennis star told him that he had become rejuvenated competing in new places. McIlroy came to understand the idea, believing that returning to the same tournament year after year can become \u201ca little bit monotonous and a little bit tedious.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think as time goes on and I get to this stage of my career,\u201d McIlroy said, \u201cI get excited about doing that sort of thing.\u201d<\/p>\n