Rory McIlroy has seen a change on the PGA Tour which he thinks has Tiger Woods written ‘all over it’

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Rory McIlroy is looking to land his second PGA Tour victory of the season as the Genesis Invitational gets underway at Torrey Pines in San Diego.

With Riviera Country Club unable to host the Signature Event in the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires, the 2021 US Open venue was selected as an alternative venue just weeks after the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open was played at Torrey.

McIlroy is fresh off winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and looked in imperious form on the Monterey Peninsula. This week, with Torrey Pines set to play long and tough, McIlroy has been backed to continue his impressive run, which dates back to the end of the DP World Tour season in Dubai.

What’s more, with an increased purse available at the 2025 Genesis Invitational, McIlroy could be set to add a significant amount to the $3.6m he won at Pebble Beach.

Rory McIlroy reacts to Genesis Invitational prize money

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Unlike other Signature Events, the Genesis allocates 20% of the prize pot to the winner instead of the usual 18%. And McIlroy believes tournament host Tiger Woods is behind the financial alteration.

“If you look at this tournament, you’ve got a cut, you’ve got the winner making more of a percentage, it’s got Tiger all over it,” McIlroy said during his pre-tournament press conference.

“They’re things that he has probably advocated for a long time, which is when you’ve won 82 times out here, you would want more of a percentage when you win. But I like it. Yeah, I think that’s pro-competitive.

“I think that’s a great thing. We live in a capitalist society, and the people that have success should earn more.”

Why is Genesis Invitational different to other Signature Events

The three player-hosted Signature Events – the Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational and Memorial Tournament – all feature a 36-hole cut to the top 50 and ties, plus any player within ten shots of the lead.

The other five Signature Events do not have a cut, so prize money is distributed to a larger proportion of players.

With fewer players featuring during the weekend of the player-hosted events, the PGA Tour has allocated a 2% increase in prize money to the winner.

If McIlroy wins this weekend, he will bank $4m. The runner-up will earn $2m, and third place will receive $1.4m.