Scottie Scheffler’s iron grip on the PGA Tour has made him a household name, with some even comparing him to Tiger Woods. This dominance has made him a huge asset for the organization. However, a potential move following Rory McIlroy‘s footsteps could spell doom for the PGA Tour, or at least that’s what golf analysts are concerned about.

According to Brendon de Jonge, Scheffler could opt to skip a couple of events in light of the tight schedule. It all started when Gary Williams asked him on the 5 Clubs podcast, “Do you get the sense that Rory’s already done it, that Scottie, he’s shown up at all these signature series events for the most part, that he too is going to have to pick a spot or two to pass?”

“As you look at the signature series event schedule, it’s very condensed. As Oliver was saying, you can’t play every week. These guys don’t want to end up playing 30-plus weeks out of the year. I think we’re going to see Scottie miss a couple of them right there in the middle of it all,” Brendon de Jonge said in response..

The concern is valid as the signature event schedule is condensed, especially around the Major championships. There are eight signature events scheduled on the PGA Tour in 2026, and these are set between February and June. Most importantly, the Tour scheduled the RBC Heritage during the week following the Masters. Then there’s the Cadillac Championship, followed by the Truist Championship, followed by the PGA Championship, week after week. There’s also the Travelers Championship the week following the US Open.

Since most elite golfers are not going to miss the majors, the analysts feel that they may pick some signature events to skip. Notably, Rory McIlroy ditched multiple signature events in 2025. He missed the Sentry, the RBC Heritage (post-Masters), and the Memorial Tournament (pre-US Open). Some fans criticized the 5x major champion for this, but he was clear that he had earned the flexibility.

“This year, that meant skipping a few signature events. [Next year] I might skip less, I might skip the same amount,” Rory McIlroy told reporters ahead of the Tour Championship 2025.

If Scottie Scheffler follows him, it would mean less fan engagement and less money for the PGA Tour. In fact, if both of them decide to miss the same signature event, the atmosphere on the course may not even seem like a signature event.

Brendon de Jonge feels that the 19-time PGA Tour winner will continue to be loyal to Dallas and the surrounding area. This could influence his decision on which event to miss. For example, there are two events in Texas before the Masters 2026. First, it’s the Texas Children’s Houston Open from March 26-29, 2026, and then the Valero Texas Open from April 2-5, 2026. The Masters 2026 follows them from April 9-12, 2026. And just after the Masters is the signature event, the RBC Heritage, from April 16-19, 2026.

If Scheffler continues to prioritize the Texas events, he may skip the RBC Heritage. He could make this decision to avoid playing four weeks straight in three different states. And since Rory McIlroy has already ditched the event in 2025, he may do the same in 2026. Notably, it’s not just Scottie Scheffler who could follow McIlroy’s footsteps. Oliver Wilson believes that many could do so because of the tight schedule.

“I think also for a lot of the top guys, they’ll end up missing some because there are courses they don’t suit and the schedule’s packed,” Wilson said. “So I don’t think they’ll miss too many, but I think everyone’s probably going to miss one, maybe two. Rory might miss a few more.”

The demanding schedule will affect everyone in the same way. Therefore, there could be more golfers handpicking which signature events they play, following the footsteps of McIlroy.

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Rory McIlroy’s response to missing the signature events in 2025

McIlroy has clearly stated that he will continue to handpick the events he plays in. One of the reasons is that he wants to continue pursuing and giving time to projects outside golf.

“I’ll always look at the schedule at the start of the year and see what best fits me and my life, and everything else that I do with family or other opportunities that I’m pursuing outside of golf,” the Northern Irishman said.

The other important reason is his aim to play in different countries to grow the game. Inspired by tennis legend Roger Federer, McIlroy wants to play more outside the US and the UK. When revealing a conversation with Federer, McIlroy said that he didn’t “want to go to the same monotonous places.”

This is the reason why he showed up for the DP World India Championship and then the Crown Australian Open. Since he aims to continue his global trotting, he will miss multiple signature events in 2026, too.

Unlike Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler has denied any desire to play on the global tour. However, analysts believe he might still have to let go of a signature event because of the tight schedule.