Do these Rory McIlroy Netflix comments explain why he's skipping RBC Heritage

Rory McIlroy said PGA Tour players were 'blindsided' by the mandatory clause with the designated events.

12 Apr 2023

Does this Rory McIlroy Netflix comment explain why he's skipping RBC Heritage — Does this Rory McIlroy Netflix comment explain why he's skipping RBC…

Rory McIlroy has seemingly ruffled plenty of feathers in the golf world this week after going against the initial rules and skipping a second designated event on the PGA Tour. But perhaps we shouldn't be so surprised given certain comments McIlroy made on the Netflix 'Full Swing' docu-series, which aired earlier this year.

McIlroy shockingly missed the cut at The Masters last week and then chose to skip this week's RBC Heritage at Hilton Head, which has attracted its greatest ever field as a result of its new designated status and inflated prize purse.

The World No.3 didn't speak to the media after packing his bags out of Georgia and he has still given no reason for his withdrawal this week, which would lead us to assume he just felt tired and flat after another year of missing out on completing the career grand slam at famed Augusta National.

UPDATE: RORY DOCKED HUGE MONEY BY PGA TOUR AFTER SKIPPING RBC HERITAGE

Do these Rory McIlroy Netflix comments explain why he's skipping RBC Heritage

McIlroy was supposed to be competing in this week's tournament as it was one of the PGA Tour's 17 designated events of the season. This status, or so we thought, means it is mandatory for the top players on the PGA Tour to compete in unless they have a valid medical exemption.

Initially we were told by the PGA Tour that McIlroy and his fellow top-20 ranked peers would have to play in all of the designated events of the season, which includes the four majors. That then quickly changed to 'they can miss one event if they want'.

It was believed the top players would be liable to losing a percentage of their income from the Player Impact Program (PIP) if they skipped more than one of the designated events.

This was all part of the PGA Tour's wider plan to keep their top names on side with inflated purses and end-of-season rewards in order to stop them from jumping ship to the Saudi-bankrolled LIV Golf League.

McIlroy missed his 'one event' straight out the gate at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii in the first week of 2023.

But fast forward to the second week of April and McIlroy has now missed a second designated event at the RBC Heritage.

However, should we really be surprised?

McIlroy is the face of the PGA Tour, after all.

McIlroy wasn't even a fan of this 'mandatory' setup from the very start.

At least surrounding the four new elevated tournaments on the schedule:

WM Phoenix Open
RBC Heritage
Wells Fargo Championship
Travelers Championship

This is something we discovered in the recent Netflix 'Full Swing' docu-series back in February 2023.

Speaking to PGA Tour executive Andy Pazder about the designated events during a players' meeting in August 2022, McIlroy said:

"I don’t know if Jay [Monahan] has communicated this to you but the mandatory [clause] – there’s been a lot of blowback on that by the guys in the room. They were sort of blindsided by it. That’s sort of the feeling. We knew there were going to be four new elevated events but we didn’t know they were going to be mandatory."

It would also sound like Jordan Spieth isn't best pleased with the condensed schedule, especially with a designated event falling straight after the first major of the season.

This week's RBC Heritage marks the seventh designated event of the season.

Spieth, who finished tie fourth at The Masters, said:

"I think I played way too much golf into this. I came in mentally fatigued, and you overwork this week every year. I played way too much golf in the last… I mean, this is eight out of 10 weeks. So I need to change my schedule up going forward to be a little sharper this week. I think that has a lot to do with it."

According to golf biographer Alan Shipnuck, McIlroy will still be able to collect his cash at the end of the season because PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan has "absolute power" in this regard to change the rules and keep his top players happy.

He will be docked heavily, though.

Shipnuck tweeted on Tuesday:

"Don't fret, Rory will get his PIP $$ no matter how many elevated's he skips. Tiger, too. I asked Monahan about this, he said, 'I have discretion, okay? I'll work with our team, I'll understand the situation, and we'll make a decision'. Per PIP slush fund, he has absolute power."

Monahan previously stated that he has discretion when asked if Tiger Woods would be prevented from the PIP given his limited playing opportunities.

He told the media in January:

"Tiger isn't going to get a decrease. I think it's hard for me to say what's going to happen until it actually happens, OK? But I don't see that happening."

Woods, who withdrew during round three of The Masters last week, is likely going to play the majors and a couple of other designated events should he be able to this season.

It must also be said that when the PGA Tour outlined its designated events for 2024, officials dropped the requirement for players to compete in all of them in order to remain eligible for the PIP.

Take a look at the full payout info for the 2022 PIP: