Rory McIlroy’s decision Monday to withdraw from the 2023 RBC Heritage got here as a wonder, and despite the fact that no explanation why has been given through the sector’s No. 3 golfer, the transfer will include a penalty. The PGA Tour will reportedly dock McIlroy $3 million of the $12 million he earned from his end within the Player Impact Program final yr, in accordance to Sports Illustrated.
McIlroy completed runner up within the PIP — a year-long analysis of the most well liked avid gamers who (theoretically) generate essentially the most earnings for the PGA Tour — final yr to Tiger Woods. As he has already reportedly been awarded $9 million of the $12 million he earned in PIP price range, he will now not be given the rest $3 million owed to him due to lacking the RBC Heritage. The Tour is successfully fining him $3 million, despite the fact that it will now not be cash he has to pay the group.
Why all of this over a WD?
Players who positioned within the PIP (23 in 2022) are required to play all however one designated match in 2023 to obtain their winnings. This was reported back in November after the 2023 agenda used to be carried out. McIlroy, having already ignored the Tournament of Champions in January, is now lacking a 2nd such match within the RBC Heritage.
The Tour will now not require avid gamers to play designated occasions in 2024, despite the fact that they will be incentivized to be a part of the ones fields given extra FedEx Cup issues awarded at the ones occasions and the trail to coming into the occasions the following yr is reasonably slender (simply the highest 50 within the FedEx Cup will qualify). Though taking part will now not be obligatory so as to obtain PIP price range, one could be taking part in with hearth to now not display up.
Coincidentally, all over the general episode of the Netflix documentary “Full Swing,” it used to be McIlroy who informed a PGA Tour govt that numerous celebrity avid gamers had been unsatisfied in regards to the “mandatory” nature of the designated occasions for 2023. He went on to say that he informed those avid gamers: If IÂ can display up for the designated occasions, so can you.
While McIlroy will now not be taking part in on the RBC Heritage, reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm will be in attendance regardless of a profession fulfillment final week. Though he used to be exhausted after a taxing week, Rahm mentioned he sought after to display up as a result of he made a dedication.
“It did cross my mind [to withdraw],” he mentioned.”It did cross my mind, but I made a commitment earlier in the year, and I want to honor that commitment. I also, talking to [my wife] Kelley, I put myself in the shoes of not only the spectators but the kids as well. If I was one of the kids, I would want to see the recent Masters champion play, good or bad, just want to be there.”
McIlroy has been criticized for now not taking a an identical angle towards the RBC Heritage. However, given there was no phrase from his camp in regards to the reasoning at the back of the WD, there are hardly ever sufficient info upon which to construct such an opinion.
Regardless, lacking out on $3 million is a large deal for somebody — even any person as a success as McIlroy.