Rory McIlroy denies Donald Trump his wish as £2.7m decision made

Jack Otway
Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:03:27 +0000

Rory McIlroy will not feature at this week's Cadillac Championship, bringing his tally of skipped PGA Tour signature events to five since the beginning of 2024.

The 36-year-old's decision means he will be absent from Trump National Doral in Miami, passing up the opportunity to compete for a £2.7 million winner's cheque.

Donald Trump had voiced his anticipation about watching the reigning Masters champion at his Florida venue following McIlroy's second Green Jacket triumph at Augusta National.

The Northern Irishman has now sat out back-to-back signature events, having also missed The Heritage, which came just seven days after his latest major victory.

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McIlroy similarly bypassed The Heritage in 2025 after securing his career Grand Slam, with Matt Fitzpatrick claiming that £2.7million prize this year.

The two-time Masters winner has therefore turned down £5.4m in potential earnings during April alone.

His absence from last year's Memorial Tournament marked his first time missing Jack Nicklaus's prestigious event since 2017, where the top prize stands at £2.9m.

Scottie Scheffler has claimed victory at the Memorial for two consecutive years, a title that has eluded McIlroy throughout his career.

The Sentry, won by Hideki Matsuyama with its £2.7m purse, was another signature event McIlroy declined before its cancellation in 2025.

Combined, these five withdrawals represent £13.7m in foregone prize money.

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McIlroy's repeated absences have drawn attention from his fellow professionals on the PGA Tour.

Michael Kim posted on X on Friday: "I hope to get to a point where I decide to skip a signature event even when healthy."

The comment appeared to reference the Masters champion's latest withdrawal, though Kim subsequently softened his stance in a follow-up post.

His second message came after GOLF.com writer Sean Zak highlighted McIlroy and Scheffler missing three signature events between Augusta and the PGA Championship as "one problem the PGA Tour needs to solve".

Kim responded: "It's OK. Scottie is just skipping Truist to play the two DFW events."

McIlroy remains scheduled to compete at the Truist Championship.

McIlroy's selective approach to his schedule should come as little surprise given his earlier comments this year.

Speaking in January, he stated: "I think I need to show up at tournaments with enthusiasm every single time, so, playing in the places that I want to play, playing the tournaments I want to play, not feeling like I'm at a tournament because I'm obligated or have to be there, but because I want to be there."

At Augusta, he elaborated on his extended preparation period before the major, explaining: "I honestly just don't like the three tournaments leading up to this event. I'd rather come up here."

He added that day trips to Augusta felt like "a better use of my time than going to Houston or San Antonio".