The Wells Fargo Championship sees the eighth elevated event of the 2022/23 PGA Tour season, with the world's top players heading to Quail Hollow to play for a $20 million tournament purse.
With the likes of Rory McIlroy returning following a disappointing Masters performance, the tournament will be without a trio of big names, with World No.1, Jon Rahm, and World No.2, Scottie Scheffler, opting to skip the tournament as the season starts to really ramp up.
Field for next week's Wells Fargo Championship: pic.twitter.com/C4gqXLWoIOApril 28, 2023
You may be wondering why the two Major winners aren't featuring in the event. Well, players on the PGA Tour are allowed to skip one elevated tournament a season, with the pair deciding that the halfway point of 2023 is the perfect time do so.
If players miss more than one elevated event then they will suffer a 25% deduction in their PIP earnings (Player Impact Program), which is a way of rewarding players who, according to the PGA Tour: "Generate the most positive interest in the PGA Tour.”
Back in mid-April, McIlroy opted to skip the RBC Heritage, just four months after he skipped the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Because he didn't play in these two elevated events, it meant that he would reportedly lose 25% of his PIP money, which equates to around $3 million.
Hideki Matsuyama will another big name missing the Wells Fargo Championship
Along with Rahm and Scheffler, Hideki Matsuyama will also not be present at the Wells Fargo Championship, with the Japanese star releasing a statement to the PGA Tour which read: “Following the Masters, I returned to Japan to receive treatment for my neck pain and, unfortunately, it has not improved to the point of being able to compete. I want to thank Wells Fargo and the Charlotte fans for their support and look forward to returning in the future.”
Matsuyama's neck injury has certainly been an ongoing battle. Back in March, the 31-year-old was forced to withdraw from the WGC-Match Play, which was the second time in five months that he wasn't able to compete on the Tour, having been unable to play at the Houston Open in November 2022.
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