( CNN ) -- Young golf star Rory McIlroy has turned his back on the PGA Tour and decided to focus on playing in Europe next year , revealing that he feels `` lonely '' when on the U.S. circuit . The 21-year-old , who won his first PGA Tour title at Quail Hollow in May , will follow Ryder Cup teammate and new world No . 1 Lee Westwood in concentrating on the European Tour . `` Sometimes you feel as though you have to be in America just to play the mandatory 15 and , at the start of this year , that was something I really wanted to do , '' he told reporters in Singapore , according to Reuters.com . `` I did that , but I also realized it was n't for me -- but then it does n't mean to say that I do n't want to play fulltime in the States again . '' The world No . 9 qualified for the lucrative FedEx Cup playoffs in his rookie year in the U.S. as he earned more than $ 2.5 million in prize money and finished 26th overall . `` I found myself in America -- especially in the FedEx Cup play-off series -- just not wanting to be there , especially on the golf course , '' the Northern Irishman said . `` I switched on the Golf Channel and began watching the Omega European Masters in Switzerland and thinking to myself I would rather be there instead . `` It would be easier if I had a place in the States , and that would definitely make it easier to play both tours . Besides , with the majors and the WGCs , plus a few other events such as my defense of the Wells Fargo Championship , I will still play 11 or 12 there next year , and I will be happy with that . '' McIlroy said he made his decision before European Tour officials increased the minimum number of tournaments required for full membership to 13 . `` But that does make it more difficult , '' he said . `` Besides , I enjoy my time too much back at home . Holly [ his girlfriend ] also has another two years at university and we have two dogs , a nice house and I love my life back in Ireland , back in Europe and I do n't want ever to give that up . `` But if I keep playing the way I have been playing , I will get all the invitations I need . Also after playing the Ryder Cup , I got a great sense of the camaraderie out there , and I got to know many of the European guys a lot better . `` The thing is that if you are playing well in the States , it 's a great place to be , but if you 're not it can be a lonely place . Whereas if you are not playing well on the European Tour you still have plenty of mates to hang out with . '' McIlroy has decided to skip this week 's Singapore Open , where Ryder Cup teammate Ian Poulter will defend his title , and instead focus on retaining his own Hong Kong Open crown later this month . Englishman Poulter will be up against the European Tour 's leading money-winners , Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell , plus Sunday 's WGC-HSBC Champions winner Francesco Molinari . Former world No . 1 Tiger Woods will defend his Australian Masters title in Melbourne this week , with the field also featuring Colombia 's Camilo Villegas and Spain 's Sergio Garcia . Home hopes include two-time champion Robert Allenby , former U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy and Stuart Appleby .
Rory McIlroy will return to PGA Tour as a full member week . Northern Irishman had played fulltime for 2010 on PGA Tour in 2010 . The 21-year-old says he misses being at home with his friends and family . McIlroy is skipping this week 's the Ryder Cup , where Rory McIlroy is defending champion .