By skipping three signature events and a FedExCup playoff event this year, Rory McIlroy has made it abundantly clear that he’s content following his own schedule.

And his impetus for that came from an unlikely source.

McIlroy said Tuesday, ahead of this week’s BMW PGA Championship, that it was a conversation with tennis star Roger Federer that led him in part to charting his own course as a professional.

Now in his 19 th year as a pro, McIlroy will embark later this year on trips to India and Australia to play in those countries’ national opens. Though he’s always been an international player, McIlroy’s additional stops were notable because of his decisions not to play in lucrative events in the U.S., including The Sentry, RBC Heritage, Memorial Tournament and FedEx St. Jude Champions

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