Rory McIlroy hasn’t played on the PGA Tour since winning back-to-back Masters.
The six-time major champion didn’t play for weeks before winning the Masters, proving he doesn’t need to be in shape to win a major. And it’s clear that McIlroy has no intention of putting too much stress on himself heading into the PGA Championship.
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McIlroy did not play at the RBC Heritage the week after the Masters. That was to be expected as he celebrated his second straight green jacket. He then sat out the Zurich Classic alongside Shane Lowry, which was confirmed several months ago.
But what’s really surprising is that McIlroy won’t be in the field for the Cadillac Championship at Trump Doral. This will be the second consecutive signature event that the Northern Irishman will miss.
And golf fans really don’t know how to feel about that.
Photo by Andrew Reddington/Getty Images
Golf fans are divided over Rory McIlroy’s decision to withdraw from the Cadillac Championship.
McIlroy’s decision to skip Cadillac is clearly disappointing to fans. We all want to see him play as often as possible. However, some fans called him a hypocrite for not playing.
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McIlroy called on PGA Tour players to play more often when he played against Liv Golf in his Saudi-sponsored league debut. He wasn’t taking his own advice here, which made some fans uncomfortable.
“He calls himself the ‘ambassador of golf’ and the ‘face of the PGA,’ but these days he skips playing on the PGA Tour and only plays majors and money-making DP World Tour events in the Middle East. He’s a great golfer, but I can’t stand him,” one post on X said.
Trump-Doral will be appearing on this year’s calendar for the first time, but one fan criticized McIlroy for not playing, saying: “Great to play in a new tournament on the calendar this year, Rolls.”
But other fans understand that McIlroy is only focused on winning more major championships at this stage of his career. That’s the only way he can strengthen his legacy.
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“Now that he has a grand slam, he’ll only play in the majors. I don’t blame him. There’s no need. He’ll play in the majors and the playoffs. And maybe that’s it.”
Another criticized the PGA Tour’s schedule, which lacked the signature events of The Players and The Masters, but now has three events before the PGA Championship.
They said, “Golf fans are very nice. He just won the Masters and is in his late 30s. Maybe he wants to relax with friends and family. Does it actually matter that he isn’t playing in the world famous ‘Cadillac Championship’?”
“Maybe the PGA Tour shouldn’t hold its marquee event the week after a major?”
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McIlroy was at the center of controversy at the Masters for spending the weeks leading up to the tournament practicing at Augusta National. This criticism was ridiculous because it was no different than what other great players like Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus had done before.
However, one fan decided to have a little fun with those trying to discredit McIlroy’s Masters win and joked that McIlroy was already at Aronimink preparing for the PGA Championship.
“Next week is 150 holes at Aronimink. I need to learn every inch of the course to get that advantage! 😍💪 I’ll be back at Quail’s playground next week. I’ll be heading into the PGA feeling good and perfectly prepared. 👀🏆.”
Michael Kim reacts to Rory McIlroy’s absence from Cadillac Championship
Even one of McIlroy’s PGA Tour competitors spoke out about his decision to sit out Doral. Always active with X, Michael Kim took to the social media platform to share his thoughts.
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“I would like to be able to make the decision to skip signature events even when I am healthy,” he said.
Kim seems to be tipping her hat to McIlroy and saying that she has earned the right to skip these events because of the legacy she has built for herself over the past 16 years.
It should be every player’s goal to get to a point where he can dictate his own schedule, and fair play to him.
