'It just isn't that interesting': Rory McIlroy wants better venues on PGA Tour schedule

Venues matter. Just ask Rory Mcllroy.

The world No. 3 was asked that after his third-round 65 on Saturday at the 2025 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, a round that saw him shoot to T-2 on the leaderboard, one back of Sepp Straka heading into the final round.

In the first full-field signature event of the year, the leaderboard is loaded with big names with 18 holes to go, and the players get to take on one of the most iconic venues in the sport. That's something the players relish, getting to play the top competition at the top venues, and it's not something that happens as often as it should.

And McIlroy said a common thought, even if it's mostly kept quiet, out loud Saturday.

"I think really good venues are a big part of the storyline," McIlroy said. "When we go to major championships, especially a U.S. Open and an Open Championship, I always feel like the golf course is a big part of the storyline heading into Thursday. Sometimes on the PGA Tour, that isn't the case because whether you play a run-of-the-mill TPC or whatever it is, it just isn't that interesting.

"So to come back to Pebble Beach time and again and play, and Spyglass, I think Spyglass is a really, really good golf course. To play these two golf courses, it's definitely two of the best that we play all year."

The top players want to play not only against the top players, but also at the top venues. Who would've guessed?

The PGA Tour schedule still has strong venues on its schedule like Pebble Beach, Bay Hill and Riviera. But it also has some snoozers, and a lot of them are in fact the TPC courses. Not every TPC course is bland, like Scottsdale and Sawgrass, but plenty of them wouldn't be missed if they were dropped from the schedule.

Which is something McIlroy hopes could be examined in the future.

"I think it's, you know, if everything's on the table for whatever this new-look PGA Tour's going to be, I think venues are going to be a big part of it."