Rory McIlroy withdraws from RBC Heritage; second skipped designated event of 2023
Rory McIlroy withdrew Monday from the RBC Heritage, a designated event on the PGA Tour. No reason was provided by the PGA Tour.
McIlroy missed the cut at the Masters Tournament, his sixth start in the last nine weeks. He has only twice before played the Heritage event, tying for 41st in 2020, when it was contested in mid-June after the Tour’s COVID-19 break, and tying for 58th in 2009.
Jason Day, Alex Noren and Will Zalatoris have also withdrawn from the event. Zalatoris announced Monday that he underwent back surgery and will be out for the remainder of the season.
This is McIlroy’s second missed designated event of the year, as he did not compete in the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Without an excuse approved by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, McIlroy could lose some of his Player Impact Program money.
Tour rules state that players can miss one designated event but need an excused absence (like an injury) to skip any others or risk losing part of their PIP payout from the previous year. McIlroy finished second on the PIP list in 2022, which was worth $12 million. That money is paid to players in installments this year.