Rory McIlroy is starting the year with a bogey.
It should be pointed out that players are allowed to skip one of the elevated events and still be eligible for the full amount of their Player Impact Program bonus money. In one breath, you could argue that McIlroy's decision to bypass the TOC proves that the Tour's elite are still independent contractors unlike LIV players who are contractually bound to play all 14 of its events.
But when you're the vocal leader who made it his mission to combat Greg Norman and the rise of LIV Golf, you really need to be at the first one to support this new effort. Given McIlroy's outspoken role, is it too much to expect him to have played in all of the elevated events in 2023? What a punch in the gut to this new tiered system before it even gets off the ground.
"Why would I turn down any of the nine events where we're playing for $20 million against the best players in the world?" he said."You know, when I'm at home I would be playing golf anyway, so I might as well play it against some of the best players in the world." McIlroy's decision wasn't totally unexpected. Speaking at the CJ Cup in October, McIlroy was candid that he was on the fence about playing at Kapalua, where he's played just once in his career, finishing fourth in 2019. Anytime the best players in the world have skipped this no-cut, limited-field event - whether Tiger or Phil, who both made a habit of doing so - it diminishes the event in the eyes of the public.
McIlroy is the last pro you'd think of to be lacking self-awareness but this time he dropped the ball. It likely won't make a difference in his Masters prep, but at a time when the Tour is trying to stave off an upstart competitor with deep pockets, you want your de facto leader to be all in and McIlroy's absence this week calls into question whether the Tour's elevated events will stand tall or become a recycled and rebranded version of the World Golf Championships.
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