Rory McIlroy is urging the PGA Tour to protect the identity of the Scottish Open as the circuit plans a new two-tier format set to launch in 2028. McIlroy expressed concern that a "closed-off tournament" format would undermine the status of national opens.

The Scottish Open, currently co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, allows members from both tours to compete if eligible for its 156-player field. PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp's proposed Championship tier plans for fields of around 120 players and prize funds exceeding $20 million.

However, Scottish golfer Robert MacIntyre believes the Scottish Open will remain a Rolex Series/European Tour event, suggesting a $20 million purse would be impractical for Scotland. World number one Scottie Scheffler acknowledged the Scottish Open's importance for players preparing for The Open Championship and hopes it can be incorporated into the new schedule, though he admitted ranking players in a potentially divided system would be challenging.