McIlroy could only play two European Tour events in 2019
After finishing a 21st place in the Nedbank Challenge last weekend, McIlroy is sixth in the Race to Dubai after having played twelve European Tour events in 2018
Rory McIlroy could largely turn away from the next year. European Tour in an attempt to add to his four major titles.
The Northern Irish are considering the move because it is not a Ryder Cup year – but the decision could jeopardize his chances of ever becoming the European captain.
The 29-year-old has only committed to play two European Tour events next year and has to compete in four games to meet the membership requirements.
McIlroy can approve the scheme to win his first major since 2014.
The former number one in the world will miss the tournament tournaments in the Middle East at the beginning of 2019, but is expected to play the European Masters in Switzerland and is likely to be close to the Open Championsh of next July in Scotland instead of Ireland. ip.
Asked by BBC Sport if he was planning to keep his European Tour membership, McIlroy said: "I do not know, at the moment I have two events on my schedule in Europe.
"I do not have to commit to it until next year, so I start my year in the United States, that is the main focus of mine until the end of August and then, obviously, we will judge from there.
"I have a few pure European Tour events on my schedule until the end of August, I think my biggest thing is that I want to play against the strongest fields, week in, week out, and for the most of the season that is in America
"And if I want to keep fighting in the majors and put my trip back to the top of the game, that's what I want to do. "
If McIlroy does not maintain his membership, it would be a big blow for the European Tour.
He is one of the biggest stars of the circuit and would not qualify for the Race to next year's Dubai, a tribute he has won three times in the last six seasons
"Right now it's all in the air," added McIlroy. "But if it would be that I do not fulfill my membership next year, it is not a Ryder Cup year so it is not the end of the world.
"I will always want to play the Ryder Cup so if that happens, so be it, and I try to make the Ryder Cup team the next year.
" It's a big change but I think it's good for many reasons.
Next year's schedule has undergone major changes on both sides of the Atlantic, with the American PGA Championship, traditionally the last major of the year, from August to May, with the players' championship returning to March.
This means that the FedEx Cup play-offs will take place a month earlier in August and that the BMW PGA championship in the European Tour will be played in Wentworth in September instead of in May.
"The way the schedule worked for next year will be different for many guys," McIlroy said.
"I think everything will be so deep between March and August, that is why I will take a fairly large off-season to prepare myself."
After this week season final DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, McIlroy only plays once in the next 13 weeks.
"In order to have that break and impose a low season on myself, I can work hard in March, all the way to basically the end of the season," he added.
