Alongside the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit, alternative forms of the game—such as YouTube golf—continue to gain traction.

McIlroy himself has helped launch the indoor Tomorrow Golf League with Tiger Woods, where players compete using two high-tech golf simulators.

The world number three will make his 2025 PGA Tour season debut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am but acknowledges that fans now have more ways than ever to engage with golf.

“I think it already has been diminished,” McIlroy said. “I can see how golf consumers might get a little fatigued with everything available to them.

“So scaling it back a bit and creating more scarcity—like the NFL does—might not be a bad thing. I think 47 or 50 tournaments a year is definitely too many.”

Despite these concerns, McIlroy believes the sport should stay true to its core values.

“There are many things that make golf unique compared to other sports,” he said. “I don’t think we should dumb it down to attract more people. Golf is golf—it has been this way for hundreds of years.

“I really like the way the game is, and I think a lot of others do too.

But I also understand the critiques and how the entertainment product could improve.”

McIlroy emphasized that competition should remain the primary focus.

“First and foremost, we’re professional golfers—we go out there to shoot the best score we can and try to beat each other,” he said. “Hopefully, people find that entertaining. And if not, well, I don’t know what to tell them.”