Rory, Tiger & Jack welcome calendar changes

Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus are among many figures in golf to have welcomed changes to the sport’s calendar, which will come into effect from 2019.

As had been rumoured for the best part of a year, it was confirmed yesterday that the US PGA Championship has moved from August to May and the Players Championship moving from May to March. Immediately following the announcement, the European Tour announced that the BMW PGA Championship would move from May to September.

Speaking ahead of the US PGA Championship, McIlroy, who is the favourite to win the year’s final major, said: “I think it’s great for the golf schedule. I think a May date for the PGA of America is a really good thing.

“From a player’s perspective, to now have one really big tournament every month from March, the Players, to the Masters to the US PGA Championship to the US Open to the Open, and to have the FedExCup most likely at end of August or start of September; it just has a better flow to it, I think.

“I’ve been a big supporter of it from the first time I heard about it, and the announcement today, I think has been very well received by a lot of the players in the locker room.”

Woods also saw fit to comment on the changes, saying he fully supported the changes.

Nicklaus, meanwhile, described the changes as ‘a good thing for the game of golf’ in a lengthy Instagram post, with it also offering the chance to help boost the quality of field at his Memorial Tournament, which will likely be held in one of the middle weekends between the US PGA and US Open.