Rory McIlroy Urges PGA Tour to Stop Competing With the NFL for Popularity

Published 10/25/2022, 6:27 AM EDT

Rory McIlroy kickstarted his 2022/23 PGA Tour season with a win at CJ Cup on Sunday. The world of golf congratulated and admired his great performance throughout the tournament. However, McIlroy still felt apathetic about his win because of Sunday Night Football. The World Number one even recommended the PGA Tour to halt its tournaments until the end of the NFL regular season.

McIlroy climbed back to the top of the World Golf Rankings after clinching the CJ Cup in South Carolina. He finished the event with 4-under 67 and successfully defended his CJ Cup title from a year ago in Las Vegas. Following his win, McIlroy made some comments about the ongoing NFL season and how it undermines competitive golf.

What advice did Rory McIlroy have for the PGA Tour?

When we compare the viewership of the NFL to the PGA Tour, it is quite apparent that Football has a much larger following. With most feature games being played on Sunday nights, at times they may clash with the final rounds of PGA Tour events.

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Rory McIlroy, who has been a PGA Tour loyalist, understands that the fans may prefer watching Football over competitive golf. After claiming the number-one rank in Congaree Golf Club, McIlroy said, “It’s football season, right? I think we need to get to the place where it’s not oversaturated. I would love us to come back in January and people will have missed watching competitive golf.”

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Undoubtedly, football season is the favorite season for most people, especially in the United States. McIlroy believes that no competitive golf must be played during the NFL season, as the fans may end up getting overdone with a dose of sports. He further added that competitive golf must resume its tournaments in January, which marks the end of the regular season in football.

The Northern Irish golfer has previously shared his admiration towards football and even shared it with his fans on Twitter. Moreover, he has been a frequent visitor to Empower Field at Mile High, showing his support for the Denver Broncos.

The NFL has taken several measures over the years to expand its fanbase beyond the North American continent and has at least one game in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London each season. The PGA Tour too has been expanding its wings over different continents for several years now. Nonetheless, for it to reach the viewership level of the NFL may require a lot more time.

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Do you agree with McIlroy’s comments? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Written by:

Abdul Bari is a Golf writer at EssentiallySports. Having completed his Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Abdul is currently pursuing his Master’s in the same. With great affection for the world of sports, this avid golf lover turned to the course at a young age.

Edited by:

Manaal Siddiqui

Rory McIlroy Urges PGA Tour to Stop Competing With the NFL for Popularity

What advice did Rory McIlroy have for the PGA Tour?

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