PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan has come to the defense of Rory McIlroy, who marks the third signature event he missed this season, with this week’s tournament scheduling plan excludes him from the memorial tournament.
“The beauty of our model is that players have the ability to choose their schedule,” Monaghan told reporters Wednesday at Muirfield Village Golf Club, the site for this week’s Memorial Tournament. “What Rory McIlroy has done is that he’s been playing in this tournament every year since 2017. And you’re looking at the tournaments he supports. As you see this in balance over time, our tournament support and our partners are extraordinary.”
In addition to skipping the commemorative edition of this week’s 50th edition, the world’s second player also bypassed the signature event, both Sentry and RBC heritage.
McIlroy, 36, raised several eyebrows, choosing to skip the memorial in support of next week’s RBC Canadian Open.
People from Northern Ireland admit that they prefer to play the week before a massive championship. The Memorial Tournament and the Open Open in Canada were repeated this year on the calendar. Canadians are currently being led directly to the US Open June 12-15 at the Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania.
McIlroy completed his career grand slam by winning the Masters last month. He won his first green jacket and fifth career major in a dramatic way, overcoming two double bogeys in the first round, and overcoming two more on Sunday before defeating England’s Justin Rose in the playoffs.
“Look at the seasons that Rory had. He had a life-changing season,” Monaghan said. “He wins the athletes championship, wins the Masters tournament, wins the Grand Slam, wins the AT&T Pebble Beach Proam.”