Rory McIlroy has passed up on a potential £13.7 million in prize money by withdrawing from five PGA Tour signature events since the start of last year, including this week's Cadillac Championship at Trump National Doral. The Northern Irishman, 36, will not compete in Miami for the £2.7 million top prize, having also skipped The Heritage after his Masters win.
McIlroy's absence from these high-profile tournaments has drawn attention, with fellow players and commentators noting the trend. The Heritage winner, Matt Fitzpatrick, took home £2.7 million earlier this month, bringing the total McIlroy has missed out on in April alone to £5.4 million. He also skipped the Memorial Tournament last year for the first time since 2017, where the winner earned £2.9 million, and the Sentry, which offered a £2.7 million prize.
McIlroy has been open about his selective approach to tournament participation. In January, he stated, 'I think I need to show up at tournaments with enthusiasm every single time, so playing in the places that I want to play, playing the tournaments I want to play, not feeling like I’m at a tournament because I’m obligated or have to be there, but because I want to be there.' At the Masters, he explained his break before the major, saying he preferred day trips to Houston or San Antonio.
His missed events have not gone unnoticed. PGA Tour player Michael Kim posted on X, 'I hope to get to a point where I decide to skip a signature event even when healthy,' though later clarified his remarks were not critical. GOLF.com writer Sean Zak described the trend of McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler skipping three signature events between the Masters and PGA Championship as 'one problem the PGA Tour needs to solve.'
