When a Grand Slam winner like Rory McIlroy skips a high-profile PGA Tour signature event without any heads-up, it’s bound to raise some serious questions and disappoint some big names. Mcllroy’s decision to sit out the Memorial Tournament, hosted by the legendary Jack Nicklaus, marks his third signature event he’s missed this season after also skipping the Sentry (the season opener) and the RBC Heritage, which came right after his iconic Masters win. What’s more, McIloroy didn’t even inform Nicklaus ahead of time. But, true to his class, Nicklaus doesn’t seem upset publicly and continues to show support.
“Yeah, it surprised me, but, you know, guys have their schedules and things they want to do,” Nicklaus said in an interview in Dublin, Ohio. It was definitely a shock for him, but having been a golfer for more than half of his life, he understands how tough the schedule can be for young players. He added, “I don’t hold anything against Mcllroy for that. He does what he likes to play. I know he likes to play a lot in a row… It’s very difficult, very difficult.” Nicklaus made it clear there’s no bad blood between them, he’s surprised, yes, but nowhere near upset. What’s even more surprising? Mcllroy’s skipping PGA Tour signature events but planning to play in the DP World Tour event in India and the National Open in Australia. These spontaneous decisions have sparked plenty of buzz among golf fans and insiders. So, what’s the bigger picture here? What exactly is McIlroy trying to do?
“He’s doing the international media tour because he is an international guy who plays on the PGA Tour. So you have to respect the motives. Should he have called? Yes. Will they talk? I am sure they will,” said Mark Immelman on The Second Cut Golf Podcast. Well, his motives aren’t bad at all. Being an international player, Mcllroy wants to build more visibility worldwide. And not just limited to the PGA Tour, the guy has global goals, and that’s fair and understandable. While he definitely should have called Nicklaus, we don’t know the whole story, so it’s hard to judge him on that. Based on Nicklaus’s comments, they’ll sort things out soon. At this stage of his career, right at his peak, Rory just wants to make the most out of every opportunity.
Rory not calling Jack to tell him he’s not playing Memorial is not it. 5 mins would’ve gone a long way. pic.twitter.com/SKiyNjDjIP
— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) May 27, 2025
“The guy’s got a lot of commitments to fill, right? He’s one of the most sought-after players out there. He’s the most popular player in the game right now,” said the golf insider. After Tiger Woods, it’s clear Mcllroy is the second most fan-favorite player in golf today. Being this popular means he has a ton of commitments to the PGA Tour, to maintaining his status as an international player, and some personal goals too. So he’s trying to go bigger and make his presence felt globally. “When Mcllroy takes that green jacket to India, it’s going to be a massive deal.” Making his mark in different parts of the world is huge. And if you look at it this way, it can benefit the PGA Tour as well; more visibility for him means more eyes on the tour too.
McIlroy is not the only player to miss the PGA tour signature events…
The PGA Tour introduced “signature events” as a way to compete with the LIV Golf League. But now, it looks like the whole idea behind these events is starting to fall apart. A lot of top players are choosing to skip them to rest up and focus on the majors instead. Scottie Scheffler, for example, recently skipped the Truist Championship, and it clearly paid off—he went on to win the PGA Championship last week.
Other big names are following a similar path. Erik van Rooyen will miss the Memorial Tournament this year after struggling in recent events, and Sam Ryder is also sitting out the Memorial to work on his form. The bottom line is that nowadays, top golfers aren’t trying to play everywhere all the time. They’re all about quality over quantity, picking tournaments that fit their goals and help them stay sharp. Mcllroy skipping some PGA events fits right into that bigger trend.
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