Mark SchlapachSenior writer for ESPN3 minutes to read
Rory saves the tie with a big shot to close out the first round
Rory McIlroy finishes his day with important strokes to sit on par.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan confirmed Wednesday that Rory McIlroy will forfeit $3 million from his Player Impact Program bonus starting in 2022 for missing another scheduled event last month.
Last year, McIlroy placed second to Tiger Woods in PIP, which measures a player’s popularity and influence on tour. McIlroy is set to raise $12 million. Instead, he will receive $9 million after forfeiting a 25% bonus for not starting at RBC Heritage in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
This was the second time McIlroy had opted out of a new designated event this season. He also skipped the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii in January. PGA Tour rules require players to compete in all but one of the seasons.
“When we committed to that schedule with the Player Impact program, we modified the opt-out once,” Monahan said. “Then, for any second cancellation, you forfeit the 25%, unless there’s a medical issue. Based on those criteria, it’s actually pretty cut and dry.”
On Tuesday, McIlroy told reporters at the Wells Fargo Championship that he needed time to mentally recharge after missing out on the loss at the Masters. It was the ninth consecutive time that he failed to win the green jacket that would complete his career Grand Slam. He said that his “mind would not have been there” if he had played in RBC Heritage the following week.
“As[McIlroy]explained, if a player was going to miss a second event to reset and replenish, then he knew that and he knew, as he said, the consequences,” Monahan said. “First of all, a player has to be able to decide not to play. I think that’s the beauty of our model. But he knows the consequences of that based on our criteria, and that’s our stance.”
Some players have said they don’t like competing in a particular event the week after a major tournament. The Travelers Championship, another dedicated event, will take place the week after the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club in June.
Monahan didn’t look like he was ready to move RBC Heritage to another week in the 2024 schedule.
“That same event is going really well that week, so I see it continuing into that week,” Monahan said. “I think it did very well across every metric.”
Next season, the PGA Tour is eliminating the rule requiring players to compete in 11 of 12 specific events, not including the four majors and the Players Championship. Monahan hopes the unlimited and limited-time events with $20 million in purses will provide enough incentive to bring in elite players.
“When we announce the schedule itself and you look at the tempo, you look at the score in terms of FedEx Cup points, you look at the size of the bag, you look at the concentration of the big players and they have confidence in being able to compete against each other at those sizes,” Monahan said. “Does that mean every week every player is going to show up? I think in our model things are likely to happen – injuries and extenuating circumstances.”