Why are Rory McIlroy and dad Gerry not playing the Dunhill Links Pro-Am?

Rory McIlroy is looking forward to a couple of weeks off after deciding not to join four of Europe's winning Ryder Cup team at this week's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.

McIlroy has been a regular visitor to the glamorous pro-am tournament over the years, and his father Gerry has been his playing partner in his last eight appearances in the event.

Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick and Bob MacIntyre have made the trip to the Home of Golf following their superb performances in Europe's titanic 15-13 win over the USA at Bethpage Black.

But McIlroy will not be teeing it up at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns as he recovers from an exhausting week in New York.

The Masters champion looked physically and emotionally spent having played in all five sessions at Bethpage, where he and wife Erika endured constant abuse from the vociferous home crowd throughout the three days of competition.

The McIlroy's were targeted for relentless verbal insults, including homophobic slurs, while Erika was also struck by what appeared to be a can of beer thrown from the crowd.

"It should be off-limits, but obviously it wasn't this week," McIlroy said at the closing press conference. "Erica is fine. She's a very, very strong woman. You know, she handled everything this week with class and poise and dignity like she always has. I love her and we're going to have a good time celebrating tonight."

McIlroy has not played the Dunhill Links in the week after a Ryder Cup since 2014, when it was just a short trip to St Andrews from Gleneagles following another European victory masterminded by Paul McGinley.

And despite the exertions of another five-session Ryder Cup 11 years ago, McIlroy went on to finish in a tie for second place behind Oliver Wilson.

McIlroy's schedule has been confirmed for the remainder of 2025, and he will be making four more starts - all of them on the DP World Tour.

The 36-year-old will headline a stellar field at the inaugural DP World India Championship in Delhi, where he will be joined by Ryder Cup team-mates Shane Lowry, Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland from 16-19 October.

Following his first ever competitive start in India, McIlroy will then have a two-week break ahead of the DP World Tour playoffs next month.

McIlroy will play the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship the following week, and he is the red-hot favourite to be crowned Race to Dubai champion for the seventh time.

And he will not be done for the year after that, as he heads to the historic Royal Melbourne golf club in the first week of December to play in the Australian Open.

McIlroy will then have his traditional long break over Christmas and the New Year before returning to action for two tournament in Dubai during the second half of January.