The choice by Rory McIlroy to skip the RBC Heritage Classic cost him millions of dollars.
Just days after missing the cut at the 2023 Masters competition, the four-time major winner withdrew from this week's competition at Hilton Head, South Carolina. According to GolfChannel.com, he will now forfeit $3 million in Player Impact bonus funds for skipping a second scheduled tournament.
The information was initially reported by Sports Illustrated.
The PGA Tour's $100 million Player Impact Program (PIP) granted bonuses to 23 golfers in 2022, and McIlroy received $12 million, second only to Tiger Woods' $15 million. In order to reward golfers who increase interest in the sport, the PIP was created in 2021.
Golfers earned 75% of their PIP money earlier this year, and the other 25% would be given to them once they fulfilled various requirements, one of which was to compete in at least 16 of the 17 tournaments that were scheduled in 2023. But since pulling out of the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January, McIlroy has now missed two of those specified events.
Why McIlroy decided not competing in the RBC Heritage Classic is unknown. He missed the cut at Augusta National with a score of 5 over for the second time in three years after placing second in the 2022 Masters. The one major title that McIlroy, 33, has yet to claim is the Masters.
On Thursday, the RBC Heritage Classic got underway. With seven under par after one round, Viktor Hovland was in the lead.
