ORLANDO, Fla. – As one of the original architects of the tournaments now know as “signature events,’’ Rory McIlroy is indifferent about the fact that some of them—including the Arnold Palmer Invitational—have a 36-hole cut despite such a small field.
But he’s got no issue with the smaller fields in general.
“No, I mean, I’m all for making it more cutthroat, more competitive,’’ he said Friday at the Bay Hill Club, where he finds himself six shots behind the leaders after two days. “Probably won’t be very popular for saying this but I’m all for less players and less Tour cards, and the best of the best.’’
And here we are.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational has a different vibe this year, especially through the first two rounds, with a field that turned out to be just 69 players based on the qualification criteria for the signature events. A total of 53 made the cut on Friday.
Six players are tied for the lead at 137, 7 under par, including five major champions – Shane Lowry, Hideki Matsuyama, Brian Harman, Wyndham Clark and Scottie Scheffler. Russell Henley is the sixth.
Tony Finau, who was eligible, elected not to play, but no alternate was used to take his place.
Even though these events are designed to have to 80 players—the Pebble Beach tournament requires it because of the pro-am format—there is no stipulation that the field be filled out to even at least 78 players.
And then there is the fact that the legacy events—Genesis Invitational, which is hosted by Tiger Woods, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament—have 36-hole cuts, despite the small fields.
A 69-player field with a cut to 50 and ties plus anyone within 10 of the lead almost suggests having one is not worthwhile.
“I was indifferent,’’ McIlroy said. “When all these signature events were thought of, we were thinking no cut, but if it's important enough, or if it's that important to Tiger and Jack and if Arnold were alive, if it was important enough for him, then it's their tournament, at the end of the day, and they can do whatever they want.
“I could have went either way, but if it's important enough to those guys, then we'll have a cut.’’
McIlroy was involved with a group of players in August of 2022 in Wilmington, Delaware, at the BMW Championship where big changes were suggested in the wake of the LIV Golf departures.
The very next week, commissioner Jay Monahan announced a new series of events first called “elevated’’ and then changed to “designated’’ that would have $20 million purses.
The format was tweaked this year to have smaller fields that include the top 50 from the final 2023 FedEx Cup standings—they are eligible for all eight—as well as players who in tournaments during the calendar year, are among the top 30 in the Official World Golf Rankings or qualify via two different FedEx Cup lists, one of which in the case of the Arnold Palmer consists of the top five not otherwise exempt coming out of the Mexico Open and Cognizant Classic.
McIlroy, who resigned his position on the PGA Tour Policy Board last year, admitted previously that the original intent was to have these tournaments even smaller. The idea was to reward the best players with lucrative paydays.
That Tour pushed back on that, and McIlroy admitted some of the original thoughts coming out of Delaware were selfish and geared toward the top players.
Still, McIlroy’s views are largely the impetus for much of the change that has occurred in the game over the past two years. LIV Golf features small fields and guaranteed money. The signature events are almost the same, except for the three that have a 36-hole cut.
His advocacy for fewer players to earn PGA Tour cards? That would undoubtedly be controversial.
