Rory McIlroy says it was an ‘easy decision’ to accept a £2.4million fine for skipping a tournament last year. The Northern Irishman was a late withdrawal from the RBC Heritage 18 months ago, landing him in hot water with officials.
McIlroy endured a tough week at the 2023 Masters just the week before. He returned home to focus on his mental wellbeing. However, PGA rules that year stated that players would need to return 25 per cent of their Player Impact Program bonus if they skipped more than one Signature Event’.
That was the second time McIlroy had missed a tournament that fell under that category. But the 35-year-old was perfectly willing to forego £2.4m in a bid to recover mentally.
McIlroy says he will streamline his calendar next year. He wants to focus only on the events he enjoys playing, having endured some gruelling and challenging schedules over the past few years. That approach may even help him end a decade-long wait for a major championship.
The RBC Heritage is no longer a mandatory event. The World No. 3 can therefore skip that tournament without facing sanctions.
“There’s a few tournaments that I played this year that I don’t usually play and that I might not play next year,” McIlroy told the Daily Telegraph in November.