The 2025 Masters Tournament is done! The enthralling contests at Augusta National were extremely well received by the patrons. To say that the first major of the season was a success would be an understatement. However, that is over now, and the PGA Tour pros will move to their next challenge. What’s their next destination? It’s the Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. It’s time for the fifth Signature event of the season, the RBC Heritage.
The field is packed with some of the best golfers in the world. The likes of Justin Rose, Ludvig Aberg, and defending champion Scottie Scheffler will be looking to grab important wins after failing to capture the Green Jacket. But who will be missing from the limited-field event this weekend? Let’s take a look at the five biggest names who will not be taking a trip to South Carolina.
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy has been in the form of his life recently. In the last eight tournaments he was a part of, the Irishman has captured four prestigious titles. It all began with the 2024 DP World Tour Championship. McIlroy won it for the third time and also topped the Race to Dubai leaderboard for his sixth Player of the Year title in the European Tour. The 29x PGAT winner continued his sublime form at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and THE PLAYERS Championship in 2025. He bagged the Signature and flagship event titles in a dominating fashion. A few weeks later, McIlroy became the sixth Grand Slam champion in history by winning the 2025 Masters Tournament.
The RBC Heritage is the fifth of eight Signature Events during the 2025 PGA TOUR Season.
The Aon Next 10 for the RBC Heritage will be finalized following the Masters Tournament.
Field for the RBC Heritage: pic.twitter.com/4XBbCXwjWA
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) April 11, 2025
The last few months have certainly been stressful for the 35-year-old. But it’s now time for a break. If he hasn’t already, Rory McIlroy will be flying back to Northern Ireland to share his recent success with his family and celebrate his achievements together. Interestingly, McIlroy has not often participated in the RBC Heritage. He has only appeared in the tournament thrice in his 18-year career. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that he is taking a break from it again in 2025 as well.
Hideki Matsuyama
Much like Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama has also had a great season. He kicked off 2025 with a win at The Sentry. It was no ordinary win as Matsuyama broke the PGA Tour’s record for the best score in a 72-hole event. The Japanese golfer managed a 35-under par 257 to beat LIV Golf pro Cameron Smith’s score from the 2022 edition of the same event by 1 stroke. He also has five other top-25 finishes in the eight cuts he has made this season. Two of his most recent runs were in the Valero Texas Open and the Masters Tournament, which were played in consecutive weeks. We can assume that the reason Hideki Matsuyama has chosen to skip the RBC Heritage is to avoid playing on the PGA Tour for three consecutive weeks. However, it’s worth pointing out that, just like McIlroy, Matsuyama has also made limited appearances in this week’s PGA Tour event. He has only played twice in the tournament in 2014 and 2020.
Tom Kim
Since March 6, 2025, Tom Kim has played in five PGA Tour events. His run started with the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he missed the cut. That was followed by THE PLAYERS Championship, which saw Kim finish at T42. A week later he was at the Copperhead Course for the Valspar Championship. After a T36 finish in Florida, the Korean national took a week’s break before participating in the Valero Texas Open. Missing the cut again, the 3x PGA Tour winner joined the field at Augusta National for the first major of the season a week later. Kim made the cut but finished dead last on the weekend leaderboard. To say that he has had a hectic schedule would be an understatement. Still very young at 22, there is no question that Kim has a lot of energy and spirit. However, even he needs to catch a breather every now and then to avoid any injuries. Hence, Tom Kim’s absence from the 2025 RBC Heritage shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Rasmus Hojgaard
In 2025, Rasmus Hojgaard either finished in the top 34 or entirely missed the cut. He failed to play the weekend rounds of The Genesis Invitational, THE PLAYERS Championship, and the Valspar Championship. But he does have a T12 finish at the WM Phoenix Open and ended the 2025 Masters Tournament at T32. However, the European golfer has played more events till April this year than he did in any of the last three seasons on the PGA Tour. There is no question that Rasmus Hojgaard is qualified for the 2025 RBC Heritage. But with his commitments in the DP World Tour, he may have chosen to go back home and reset before getting back in action to prepare for the PGA Championship. Interestingly, when Hojgaard does decide to play in this Signature event next, it will be his first time participating in the tournament.
Jake Knapp
Jake Knapp has had one of the best seasons on the PGA Tour in 2025. He has made nine cuts and finished in the top 25 four different times. One of them was a T6 finished at the 2025 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches. Knapp is ranked 47th on the FedEx Cup leaderboard and has met every criterion to qualify for the RBC Heritage this year. While not qualifying for the Masters Tournament, the 30-year-old has still played in nearly every tournament he possibly can. From THE PLAYERS Champion to the Valero Texas Open, he was featured in four PGA Tour events in a row. He also went on a seven-tournament run from January to March, playing every weekly tournament he possibly could. It’s not hard to imagine why he has chosen to step back from professional golf.
Which one of these golfers were you hoping to see playing at the 2025 RBC Heritage? Let us know in the comments section.
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