Rory McIlroy has opted out of the Cadillac Championship at Trump National Doral, snubbing former US President Donald Trump who had publicly urged him to play. The world No. 2 is among several top golfers skipping the event, including Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele, Bob MacIntyre and Ludvig Aberg.
The tournament, which returns to the Blue Monster course for the first time in a decade, boasts a $20million (£14.8m) purse. McIlroy's absence means he forgoes the chance to win the £2.7m first prize. Trump had taken to his Truth Social platform to congratulate McIlroy on his Masters victory and express his hope to see him compete at Doral, one of 16 golf venues owned by the former president.
Meanwhile, Shane Lowry has revealed that McIlroy's withdrawal from the Zurich Classic left him scrambling for a partner. The Irishman said he asked 'about 10 or 12 other guys' before securing Brooks Koepka. The tournament carries a £7.1m ($9.5m) prize fund. Lowry explained that McIlroy quickly indicated after their 2024 victory that he did not want to return, prompting Lowry to seek a new teammate.
Lowry eventually teamed up with five-time major winner Koepka after approaching him in Florida. The pair struck a deal with McIlroy present, but ultimately lost to Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick. McIlroy's decision to skip both events follows his historic back-to-back Masters triumph, after which he decided to take a break from competition.
