Dual membership makes sense for McIlroy, Westwood We'll see more of both Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood on the PGA TOUR in 2012. Nov. 29, 2011 By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent They're going to give this global golf thing a serious whirl. Dual membership on the PGA TOUR and European Tour. More than a few extra criss-crosses of the Atlantic and maybe even the Pacific. Less downtime. More organization to already tight schedules. But before we dive too deeply into the buzz around the decisions by Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy, get one thing straight. Maybe two. They're not going to be Luke Donald. Or Ian Poulter. Oh, they might well jump into the races on both sides of the pond and, like Luke right now, find themselves in contention to win both the FedExCup and the Race to Dubai in 2012. Wouldn't that be fun? But don't expect them to settle in the way Luke and Poults have in Chicago and Orlando. Don't look for building a brand as Poults has with his clothing line. And don't expect them to treat this, like Martin Kaymer has, as a strange decision. Whether it's a one-year trial or the start of something more, it's simply the best decision for them in 2012. Not bad for the U.S. either. So, we thought it would be fun to look at a couple of reasons their decisions make this a win-win. ?Adding the No. 2 and 3 players in the Official World Golf Ranking for a half-dozen more events than they played last year? And having nine of the world's top-10 playing the TOUR? Not priceless, but pretty darn good. Face it. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are still the biggest draws, but having Westwood and McIlroy in your hometown field has to pique your interest. Westwood won the FedEx St. Jude Classic -- the run-up to the U.S. Open -- in 2010. He's had two top-11 finishes at the Shell Houston Open -- the run-up to the Masters. And McIlroy electrified the game when he won the 2010 Wells Fargo Championship -- the run-up to THE PLAYERS. And he was in the mix at this year's Memorial Tournament, finishing fifth. ?They give any field a little something extra. McIlroy brings the wow factor. And the "Wozzilroy" factor. Like his young counterpart, Westwood brings serious game and a crafty sense of humor. It might take you a while to get used to it, but this guy can be brilliantly funny if you just listen. Plus, anytime you can bank on a visit or two from BFF types like Darren Clarke? Works for us. ?World-ranking points. Westwood was No. 1 and wants it back. McIlroy could take a turn at No. 1 soon. THE PLAYERS and PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup come with serious points. And up-and-coming fields like Houston and St. Jude's benefit from strength of field with their points. ?The Ryder Cup. It's headed for Medinah next fall and playing over here gives McIlroy and Westwood a comfort zone. Not only will they be well adapted to the States, they'll be able to zip through Chicago for peek every once and a while. Yes, past captain Colin Montgomerie was adamant about his players playing more European events. Jose Maria Olazabal, who has played on the TOUR, might not be. In any case, there won't be any out-of-sight-in-the-States, out-of-mind with McIlroy and Westwood. Or Donald. At worst, they're locks with the world points component of the selections. Same for twin-tourists Sergio Garcia and Graeme McDowell. Poulter? He has some work to do in 2012. Might be fun to watch the Euro race and their leadoff players closer up on the run-up, right? ?Scheduling. When Westwood announced his decision last week, he said he missed THE PLAYERS and thought he might have some fun at the end of the year in the Playoffs, too. The former is an easy-enough add; the latter will mean a few tough decisions on the European Tour side in the fall. Juggling is what it's all about. Bottom line is a full-time player has to play 15 tournaments on the TOUR; 13 on the European Tour. Eight tournaments -- the four majors and the four World Golf Championship events -- count toward both tours. So, really, by the time they play the normal extra events on TOUR (Houston, St. Jude's, etc.) they only need to add a few more. Do-able. Just comes down to planning. ?Timing. It is, after all, everything. Right? McIlroy played the TOUR in 2010 and chose not to this year. Westwood has always come and gone, using exemptions to play a few extra events over here. But, the playoffs got him thinking. "I sat there on my sofa and saw how big the events were, that they carry a lot of ranking points," he said. "They look like great courses they play. You need a fresh approach and change every now and again or else you can get stale. I just fancied it.'' ?Soccer and proper breakfasts. Time to test or merely expand your knowledge. European players grew up on soccer, not the NFL and college football. Listen and learn. And breakfasts? If you don't know about toast and beans or sausages and black pudding, again, listen and learn. You might even find you like a little milk with your tea. Melanie Hauser is a columnist for PGATOUR.COM and can be reached at [email protected]. Her views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR. Follow her on Twitter @melaniehauser.