Rory McIlroy Breaks Silence On RBC Heritage Withdrawal
The four-time Major winner has explained why he withdrew from the designated event after The Masters
World No.3 Rory McIlroy has revealed why he withdrew from PGA Tour designated event the RBC Heritage.
The top players are obliged to play all but one of the designated events in 2023 or risk penalties. McIlroy missed the first of those tournaments, the Sentry Tournament of Champions, in January, meaning he was expected to play in the remainder of the higher-profile events this season.
Following that absence, McIlroy will make his first appearance since missing the cut at The Masters in another designated event, the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow. Speaking to the Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis during the build-up to the tournament, McIlroy explained the decision to miss the Harbour Town tournament.
He said: “I needed a break for me after the disappointment of Augusta. It’s been a pretty taxing 12 months mentally so it was nice to just try to disconnect a little bit and get away from it. It’s nice to come back and feel refreshed and I think we’re on a pretty busy run here from now until after the playoffs so I’m excited to get going.
"After the disappointment of Augusta and how I played there it was just, I think just more for my mental and emotional well-being, I just needed to be at home for those few weeks as I said looking forward to getting back at it this week."
I spoke with Rory McIlroy about taking time off and skipping the @RBC_Heritage. He said, “More for my mental and emotional well being I needed to be at home for those few weeks…..I think I’m in a better head space than I was.” Hear full interview on @GCGolfToday & @GolfCentral.May 2, 2023
McIlroy also explained the break came at a good time considering the amount of golf there is still left in the season. He said: "I think it was a nice reset for me because I still had to realise that there’s three more Majors this year.
"There’s a ton left to play for so I guess it was a little bit like, not a new beginning in a way, but, OK, I played great golf until then but I sort of need to leave the last 12 months in the rearview mirror and focus on what’s ahead of me and I think the last three weeks has helped me gain that perspective and put me back on the right track.”
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McIlroy’s decision to miss the RBC Heritage raised eyebrows because he has been one of the most vocal proponents of the designated events since their introduction. It appears he will pay a price for that absence, though, and is reportedly facing a reduction of his PIP award to the tune of around $3m.
Given this will be McIlroy's first appearance since that disappointment at Augusta National, he could barely have chosen a more appropriate tournament to try and put it behind him. The four-time Major winner has won the Wells Fargo Championship three times, most recently in 2021.
Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
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