“It’s all pie in the sky stuff, but I think there has to be a component of the southern hemisphere, Australia, South Africa… and the Far East, whether that be Korea, Japan, China,” Rory McIlroy said when he was asked about the landscape of golf the PGA Tour could explore, back in February 2024. The Irishman had always been a strong supporter of American golfers going global. Today, as the Tour is mostly restricted to American soil, the heads of two majors have announced the integration of the Global Tours into their qualification systems.

To the delight of millions of golfers and fans worldwide, Augusta National Golf Club and the R&A have opened their gates to six National Opens from around the world. The Open and the Masters 2026 will give one-year exemptions to winners of the National Opens into the major events. Titled ‘New Pathway,’ the current Scottish Open, Spanish Open, Japan Open, Hong Kong Open, Australian Open, and South African Open champions have already been confirmed for the 2026 editions of the mega events.

Fans have complained about such gateways limiting the opportunities for American golfers. They had already raised their concerns when Jay Monahan & Co. had announced the field size reduction from 2026 onwards. This affected only those qualifying from the Korn Ferry Tour and Q-School. The DP World Tour players will still get the same number of PGA Tour cards as they did in 2024.

However, McIlroy had already anticipated unrest over the issue a couple of years ago. And he had given a fitting response to those worried that the quality of American golfers might drop. The Grand Slam champion said, “Instead of trying to think about what’s good for the [Global Tours], think about what’s good for the players that are on that [PGA] Tour. I think that’s where people need to sort of reframe their mind a little bit.”

New challenges, different playing styles, and unique approaches will keep the best players from the United States on their toes. That will only help great golfers like Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele to enhance their skills. Fans have already witnessed how good Scheffler is at adapting to new challenges at Royal Portrush. Exposure to international talent will not only help him and other players improve themselves, but also allow them to train better.

The only question that remains to be answered is, have ANGC and the R&A really brought Rory McIlroy’s vision to life? The Irishman’s idea stemmed from the American golfer’s lack of exposure to the international circuit. But was it limited only to the players? Let’s decipher it in detail.

Did Augusta National & the R&A just execute Rory McIlroy’s plan?

While Augusta National and the R&A are certainly trying to involve more international players in the big leagues, Rory McIlroy’s concept was focused on pushing the PGA Tour talent outwards on the international courses. Exposing them to a variety of challenges on international golf courses would expose them to obstacles they might not always tackle in the U.S.A. A great example of this is seen annually on the links course in the Scottish Open and The Open Championship. American golfers usually struggle to adapt to the windy and barren conditions of links courses.

Similarly, McIlroy’s experience in the desert courses of Dubai is something not every PGA Tour pro is familiar with. Tiger Woods may have won the Dubai Desert Classic a couple of times. But the last time an American won the event was Bryson DeChambeau in 2019. Collin Morikawa was the last player from the United States to win the DP World Tour Championship in 2021. They struggle the PGA Tour players from the United States struggle to win internationally. Including National Open winners in the majors is a great initiative. But the PGA Tour should also start collaborating with these events to send its players there.

LIV Golf has certainly helped American golfers get a lot of international exposure. And interestingly, the Hong Kong Open also falls under the International Series schedule of LIV Golf. That means any LIV Golf player can book a ticket to the majors by winning the tournament. The R&A and the USGA had already given a direct pathway to LIV Golf pros into the majors earlier this year. Through the Hong Kong Open, they just get another opportunity to qualify for two of the most prestigious tournaments in golf.