Rory McIlroy won’t be competing at the RBC Heritage. (Image: Getty Images)
Back-to-back Masters champion Rory McIlroy is sitting out the RBC Heritage this year, yet will escape the £2.2million fine he was handed in 2023 thanks to a PGA Tour rule change. McIlroy became only the fourth golfer in history to claim back-to-back Green Jackets last week, and the first to do so since Tiger Woods in 2002.
Nevertheless, he faced criticism for bypassing events in the run-up to the Masters, instead using his privileges as champion to play several rounds at Augusta National. The approach proved worthwhile as McIlroy edged out Scottie Scheffler by a single stroke to secure his sixth major title and savour victory once more.
He has opted out of the RBC Heritage and has not played in the tournament since 2020.
McIlroy regularly misses the RBC Heritage, and did so last year to recharge following an emotional Masters triumph. However, back in 2023, that decision set him back £2.2m.
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The withdrawal in 2023 came after McIlroy missed the cut at the Masters, but at the time, PGA Tour regulations prohibited players from skipping two signature events in any given year. The penalty was a substantial one for McIlroy, though the rules have since been overhauled.
Under current PGA Tour regulations, players may skip a tournament without incurring a financial penalty. McIlroy has already sat out several events this year, particularly during the build-up to the Masters, as he focused on playing at Augusta while also recovering from a back injury.
Speaking ahead of the 2026 Masters, McIlroy said: “I honestly just don’t like the three tournaments leading up to this event. I’d rather come up here (Augusta National).
“I did a couple of days where I dropped [daughter] Poppy to school, flew up here, played, landed back home, and had dinner with Poppy and [wife] Erica. I did a couple of day trips like that where I felt it was a better use of my time than going to Houston or San Antonio.”
Rather than competing in the build-up tournaments, McIlroy would jet into Augusta National on his private aircraft, clock up invaluable practice time on the course, before heading back home.
His thorough preparation was plain to see as he dominated the Masters, with McIlroy revealing that golfing legend Jack Nicklaus had been the one to suggest the approach.
Masters champion Rory McIlroy shortly after his victory. (Image: Getty Images)
“I joked last week that this place feels like my home course,” McIlroy said before leaving Augusta. “I haven’t played anywhere else in the last two or three weeks, really. I felt prepared in that way.
“I felt prepared that wherever I hit it on the golf course, I sort of know what to do. I know where to miss. I’m pretty comfortable with all the shots around the greens. It’s a good blueprint. I’m not going to take three weeks off before every major, but to get to the major venues early, do your preparation, play.
“And not just play and look at things, but actually play. Go out there with one ball, shoot a score, and try to do it that way. When I’ve talked to Jack Nicklaus over the years, how he prepared for majors, he would go the week before, and he would simulate a tournament.
“He’d play one ball for four days, shoot scores. So then, when he got to the tournament, it felt second nature to him. I did a little bit of that, and I think that’s certainly a good way to prepare going into the next majors.”
This article first appeared on Mirror US.