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Rory McIlroy intends to play fewer events in the future after admitting that a hectic 2024 caused him to “hit a bit of a wall”.
McIlroy finished in a tie for ninth place at the Tour Championship in Atlanta in his 22nd event of the year, and still has five more tournaments left to play.
In addition to his regular PGA Tour outings, the 35-year-old also featured at the Olympics in Paris, adding another high intensity event to his calendar.
A near miss at the US Open, which has extended his hunt for a fifth major beyond a decade, also took a significant toll, and McIlroy believes he will shave down his schedule in the future.
“It’s been a long season,” the Northern Irishman conceded after a final-round 66 at East Lake left him 14 shots behind winner Scottie Scheffler.
“I’m going to just have to think about trying to build in a few extra breaks here and there next year and going forward because I felt like I hit a bit of a wall sort of post-US Open, and still feel a little bit of that hangover.
“27 [is too many tournaments]. I’m usually sort of like a 22 sort of person. But again, that was when I was sort of in my 20s and didn’t have the responsibilities that I do now.
“I’m going to try to cut it back to like 18 or 20 a year going forward, I think.”
McIlroy missed the cut at The Open in July having made three bogeys in the final four holes to miss out to Bryson DeChambeau at the US Open a month prior.
The four-time major winner secured success at the Dubai Desert Classic, Zurich Classic of New Orleans and Wells Fargo Championship in the first half of the year.
He is set to feature at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews at the start of October.
“My season is not over, obviously. I’ve still got five events left to play,” McIlroy said.
“But yeah, it’s been, I feel like the tournaments came thick and fast, and obviously with the Olympics thrown in there, as well, this year, it sort of condensed everything a bit.”
