As has been made clear on the PGA Tour in the last 12 months, breaking rules brings consequences.
Rory McIlroy has learned this in a costly fashion by skipping the RBC Heritage.
According to Sports Illustrated, he has been docked $3 million which is set to be taken from the $12 million he banked from last year’s Player Impact Program.
The Northern Irishman had already missed the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January, the first designated event of the year, but players are allegedly allowed to miss one elevated-purse event in 2023.
After missing the cut at the Masters, McIlroy decided to withdraw from the event at Harbour Town which offers a prize pot of $20 million.
Although the four-time major champion has earned $71,507,835 in 227 PGA Tour events, this $3 million penalty could be a strong reminder to McIlroy of his obligations.
Tiger Woods topped the PIP charts in 2022 and earned $15 million, with McIlroy in second place. Both players were instrumental in devising the 2023 PGA Tour schedule, and the 2024 schedule too.
Players were reportedly paid 75% of their PIP bonuses in January and are set to be paid the rest once completing the rest of the criteria.
The top 20 players in the PIP table were supposedly required to play in 20 events this year, including each designated event, as part of an effort to bring the best versus the best on a regular basis to golf fans.
The RBC Heritage earned designated status in 2023, along with the WM Phoenix Open, the Wells Fargo Championship, and the Travelers Championship.
McIlroy has only played the RBC Heritage twice in his career, but a number of players, such as Max Homa, Xander Schauffele, and Viktor Hovland, are playing despite significant absences.
Scottie Scheffler is making his debut at Sea Pines Resort, and despite considering a WD himself, the newly-crowned Masters champion Jon Rahm felt a sense of duty to play this week.
“I made a commitment earlier in the year, and I want to honour that commitment,” Rahm said.
“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.”
“Rules are the rules,” Schauffele added. “So, I mean, for the most part, a lot of what he wanted is what’s happening. And the irony is that he’s not here.
“It’s a lot of money. It’s a big deal. A lot of people want to know what’s going on.”
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