Jack Nicklaus reveals "surprise" at Rory McIlroy snubbing his Memorial Tournament
Golf legend Jack Nicklaus reveals he was "surprised" Rory McIlroy refused an invite to compete in his Memorial Tournament this week.
Jack Nicklaus has revealed he was "surprised" to see Rory McIlroy snub his Memorial Tournament on the PGA Tour for the first time since 2017 this week.
Nicklaus, 85, today spoke at length to reporters on the subject of McIlroy's no-show at famed Muirfield Village.
McIlroy, 36, last week confirmed he would be bypassing the seventh Signature Event of the season at Jack's Place.
He has instead chosen to compete in next week's RBC Canadian Open.
That's a tournament he has won twice before and it falls a week before the U.S. Open.
McIlroy's decision to snub the Memorial Tournament marks the first time in eight years that he has missed the iconic PGA Tour event.
The World No.2 has never won the Memorial.
When pressed for comment on McIlroy's refusal to play in his tournament, the disappointment was etched on Nicklaus' face.
Scroll down this page to watch his interview...
Nicklaus was asked by a reporter whether he had spoken to McIlroy about his decision.
"I didn't have a conversation with him, no," said Nicklaus.
The record 18-time major champion was then asked whether McIlroy's decision surprised him.
"A little bit," replied Nicklaus.
Nicklaus added: "I was sort of aware of it [his decision] about the middle of last week.
"Yeah, it surprised me. But, you know, guys have got schedules and got things they do.
"And, you know, I haven't talked to him for him to tell me why or why not.
"It's just his call. I made a lot of calls that I had to make when I played to play or not play, and sometimes it wasn't as popular as people thought it was. But, you know, sometimes you have to make those calls. I don't hold anything against Rory for that. He did what he likes to play. I know he likes to play so many in a row.
"He likes to play the week before a U.S. Open, and so he, that's what he's doing. So, you know, I really don't have a comment on it. It's very difficult, very difficult.
"I mean, I'm a big Rory fan, I always have been. I'm sure that I will remain that way. I just, I was a little surprised, yes."
Watch Nicklaus' comments on McIlroy:
After Jack Nicklaus giving Rory McIlroy time pre Masters to help guide him on how best to play Augusta National, Rory is not only skipping his event, but also didn’t give him the courtesy of a phone call to let him know…
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) May 27, 2025
pic.twitter.com/vq0vi1hT28
A large number of PGA Tour fans have certainly been left disappointed by McIlroy's call.
The Northern Irishman's choice to skip the Memorial becomes even more bewildering given last year he called for the tournament to change place on the PGA Tour schedule.
McIlroy felt it should be a stand-alone event.
That was after the 2024 Memorial Tournament took place a week before the U.S. Open.
"This is more than a tune-up for the U.S. Open," McIlroy said during the Memorial last season where he went on to finish T15.
"This is a huge tournament, with the host being arguably the greatest player ever to play the game, so it needs to stand on its own a little bit."
Off the back of those comments from McIlroy, the PGA Tour and tournament host Nicklaus made sure the Memorial Tournament moved forwards in this year's schedule and two weeks before the U.S. Open at Oakmont.
But it seemingly made little difference as McIlroy, who has wanted to play a limited schedule this season, has not turned up.
Our Ben Smith believes McIlroy may very well be trying to tell us something.
Related:
McIlroy has now missed three of the first seven Signature Events of the season.
There is one more left at the Travelers Championship, the week after the U.S. Open.
Despite missing multiple Signature Events, which were set up to bring all the best PGA Tour stars together more often, McIlroy will not be fined like he was when doing that in 2023.
Nicklaus was also asked for his comments on McIlroy's victory at The Masters last month.
The win saw McIlroy join Nicklaus as one of six players in the career grand slam club.
Nicklaus, who sat down with McIlroy on the eve of The Masters and told him to 'not do dumb things', also successfully picked the Ulsterman to finally slip on the coveted Green Jacket for the first time in April.
"Well, you know, I don't know whether he was going to win or not," said Nicklaus.
"After The Masters, I dropped him a note, and I told him, I don't think anybody's won by having four double bogeys, and I said, but that just showed me how much talent you have to overcome that to win and how you played some unbelievably spectacular shots, such as the iron at 7 that he hit over the tree that actually hit the tree. The phenomenal iron he hit at 15, the shot he hit at 17. Then, of course, to miss that little short putt at 18 on a pitch-out on his second shot with a wedge, which was not very good. But he played some bad shots. The shot he hit at 13, I can't believe.
"But anyway, you know, I was very happy for him. It was a great win, and it got the monkey off his back. And to me, the monkey was not the Grand Slam. The monkey was the Masters. Now, the Grand Slam was a product of winning the Masters. If you ask him which was more important, I think he would have to say the Masters. That's because it was."
Although McIlroy is a standout absentee this week, thankfully the rest of the PGA Tour's biggest stars have bothered to rock up.
Scottie Scheffler is a red-hot tournament favourite as he looks to defend his title.
A giant prize pot of $20m is on the line with a huge $4m going to the winner.
See the full prize purse at the Memorial
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