“I guess my thing is, I’m all for more cutthroat and more competitive and trying to give pathways to the younger generation. I feel like the most competitive professional golf tour in the world, you should have to come out and prove yourself year after year after year.” This is what Rory McIlroy had to say about PGA Tour Card membership. A very contentious point of view. But something apparently not shared by the majority of the golfing world.
Nearly one year after he shared his thoughts, McIlroy’s words are coming back in focus. This time it is due to South African golfer Erik van Rooyen. The PGA Tour pro finished second at the recently concluded CJ Cup Byron Nelson after going toe-to-toe with Scottie Scheffler over the last two rounds of play. In the end, van Rooyen had to succumb to Scheffler’s consistency over the first two days.
But his performance did have further benefits. Van Rooyen’s second placed finish allowed him to qualify for the upcoming Truist Championship that is happening at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. He earned his qualification due to the Aon Swing 5 process, one of two ways players can qualify for the signature events. The purse at the event is significantly higher and a lack of cutline means that all participating players will get a part of the prize money.
However, Erik van Rooyen is not particularly for it. “I hate it (laughter). I strongly believe that the strongest fields are the ones with the most players in them. The guys on the PGA Tour are so good. It’s so deep. I get that you’ve got the Scotties of the world, the Rorys of the world, and people want to see them, it’s entertaining.” The South African pro explained when asked about his qualification to the signature event.
Erik van Rooyen was asked about qualifying for next week’s $20 million, no-cut Truist Championship via the Aon Swing 5, and he responded:
“How honest do you want me to be?”
He then continued: “I hate it (laughter). I strongly believe that the strongest fields are the ones with… pic.twitter.com/psFxTACUnj
— Brentley Romine (@BrentleyGC) May 4, 2025
“Like the PGA Championship coming up. I think it’s the strongest field in the game, similar to The Players. I love competing, so selfishly I want to compete against those guys. Again, really proud of playing my way into it.” Erik van Rooyen further added. The lack of a cutline at the signature events makes the competition feel a bit more exclusive and only appealing to the top golfers, who can afford to play it safe, instead of engaging in proper competition.
This will be something for Jay Monahan and Co to think about, especially considering that there are several people who feel the same way. And it is not just golf fans around the world that share the same opinion as Erik Van Rooyen.
Former pros and golf fans express support for Erik van Rooyen’s thought process
The biggest endorsement that the two-time PGA Tour winner will get is that the thought is echoed by former PGA Tour pro Brandel Chamblee who took to X to express his support with a tweet. “This is just gold from Erik van Rooyen, read it, breathe it in and let it sink in because this is as much truth as Sir Isaac Newton describing the laws of motion.” His tweet read.
Several golf fans seemingly agreed with Rooyen’s take on the PGA Tour’s signature event. They feel like this is something that has not been addressed publicly at a large scale. One user commented, “Great take. Very nuanced issue,” while another user also felt that van Rooyen was right in calling the situation out publicly. “He is 100% right. The signature events (especially the ones with no cut) are lame.”
There are eight signature events on the PGA Tour this season, of which 5 have already taken place. The remaining are the Truist Championship, Memorial Tournament, and Travelers Championship. In all these events, the purse at stake is higher than usual ($20 million), with the winner pocketing near $4 million. “I have to say I agree with his thoughts on the current model and I hope we go back to having cuts in most of the tournaments and I hope we also eventually go back to full fields.” One user explained his thoughts candidly.
These events have no cut line, which means that the field size is heavily reduced. For example, The Sentry, which was the season beginner and the signature event, only had 59 golfers taking part. The Sony Open In Hawaii, which was the next event, had 144 players competing. 76 players made the cut at the event. “U need cuts to drive competitiveness and the meritocracy that makes this sport great. Guys shouldn’t feel safe and getting paychecks based on their history instead of that weeks performance.” Another user opined.
What do you think of Erik van Rooyen’s thoughts? Should the PGA Tour be more considerate of the lesser-known players and give them more of a platform to exhibit their skills?
The post PGA Tour Champ Protests Against Jay Monahan’s ‘Cutthroat’ Policies, Earning Approval From Brandel Chamblee & Others appeared first on EssentiallySports.