Rory McIlroy Confirms First Start Since Masters Win As Scottie Scheffler Skips Truist Championship
McIlroy returns to competitive action after retaining the Green Jacket, with the six-time Major winner looking for a fifth win at Quail Hollow
It's safe to say that Quail Hollow has been a happy hunting ground for Rory McIlroy in the past, earning four victories at the course throughout his career.
For 2026, the Truist Championship returns to the lay-out after a brief stint at Philadelphia Cricket Club, and McIlroy is to make his competitive return to action after taking a break following his Masters win in April.
McIlroy secured a second Green Jacket following a one shot victory over Scottie Scheffler
Having not featured at either the RBC Heritage or Cadillac Championship Signature Events, or indeed the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, McIlroy will be the star name in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Article continues belowTaking place a mere few hours away from Augusta National, it'll be the first tournament the 36-year-old has played since he became the fourth player in history to defend The Masters.
Earning a one shot win to secure his sixth Major, McIlroy's nearest challenger that week, Scottie Scheffler, won't be present, as the World No.1 takes a week off following three events in four weeks.
Last year, Quail Hollow staged the PGA Championship instead of the Truist Championship, and, at that Major, Scheffler dominated proceedings, forging out a five shot win over Harris English, Bryson DeChambeau and Davis Riley.
This year, Quail Hollow returns in a Signature Event role, and will play as the starter for the main course of the PGA Championship, which takes place the week after at Aronimink Golf Club.
Much has been made of the 2026 PGA Tour schedule and, since The Masters, three Signature Events are taking place in a four week stretch, with notable names prioritizing their scheduled starts.
Quail Hollow staged the PGA Championship back in May 2025
The PGA Tour returned to Trump National Doral for the first time in a decade but, despite this, notable names, including McIlroy, opted to skip the $20 million Cadillac Championship.
Major season is upon us and, consequently, with such a tight schedule, some will want to play the week before a Major, while some won't.
Scheffler falls into the won't camp, as he skips the Truist Championship. For the majority, though, they will be present in Charlotte, where a 72-man field will get some competitive reps in at the no-cut event.
Truist Championship Full Field
- Ludvig Aberg
- Harris English
- Nicolai Hojgaard
- Rory McIlroy
- Jordan Spieth
- Daniel Berger
- Tony Finau
- Max Homa
- Maverick McNealy
- Sam Stevens
- Akshay Bhatia
- Alex Fitzpatrick
- Viktor Hovland
- Collin Morikawa
- Sepp Straka
- Chandler Blanchet
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Mackenzie Hughes
- Alex Noren
- Nick Taylor
- Keegan Bradley
- Tommy Fleetwood
- Sungjae Im
- Andrew Novak
- Sahith Theegala
- Jacob Bridgeman
- Rickie Fowler
- Michael Kim
- Taylor Pendrith
- Justin Thomas
- Sam Burns
- Ryan Fox
- Si Woo Kim
- JT Poston
- Jhonattan Vegas
- Brian Campbell
- Ryan Gerard
- Kurt Kitayama
- Aldrich Potgieter
- Matt Wallace
- Patrick Cantlay
- Lucas Glover
- Jake Knapp
- Patrick Rodgers
- Gary Woodland
- Ricky Castillo
- Chris Gotterup
- Min Woo Lee
- Justin Rose
- Sudarshan Yellamaraju
- Bud Cauley
- Ben Griffin
- David Lipsky
- Xander Schauffele
- Cameron Young
- Corey Conners
- Harry Hall
- Robert MacIntyre
- Adam Scott
- Pierceson Coody
- Brian Harman
- Hideki Matsuyama
- Alex Smalley
- Jason Day
- Ryo Hisatsune
- Denny McCarthy
- Austin Smotherman
- Nico Echavarria
- Tom Hoge
- Matt McCarty
- JJ Spaun
