The tournament is hosted by Jack Nickulaus ‘Surprised’ Rory McIlroy skipping memorial

Dublin, Ohio – When a list of fields for this week’s memorial posted last Friday, there was one name that was conspicuous in his absence: Rory McIlroy.

It is not an incredible surprise that the player skips one of the $ 20 million signed events given how a condensed schedule became around the lines. McIlroy has already missed two events of signature, the guard to start the year and heritage of the RBC, and the world 1 Scottie Scheffler did not play Truist Championship at the beginning of this month.

Still, there was at least one person who surprised the master champion skipped a trip to the village of Muirfield.

“I didn’t have a conversation with him, no,” Jack Nickus said, who then asked if McIlroy had surprised him, “A little.”

From the winning of the master and completing the Grand Slam in his career, McIlroy played Zurich Classic, who won the North Irishman last year with Shane Lowry, and the PGA championship. He also plans to play the Senident Week of the RBC Canadian Open, which he won 2022. years. If Mcicroy played the memorial, he would already return in Sundays before the USA opened and probably the American Championships with passengers, and probably play, a week after the State Championship.

“I was surprised. But, you know, guys have schedules and get things that they do,” Niclaus said. “I didn’t talk to him to tell me why or why not. It’s just his call. I have a lot of calls to play or play, and sometimes they weren’t so popular. But sometimes you have to concern people.

“I’m not holding anything against Rory for it. He did what he likes to play. I know he likes to play so much in a row. He likes to play a week before us open. And that’s what he does.”

Nickulaus selected McIlroy to win master and spent lunch with the world no. 2 Before the first great big game for his Gameplan for Augusta National.

“We went through a shot. And he ended up with the wheel, and I didn’t open my mouth. And I said,” Well, I wouldn’t change anything, “Nickus said last month on the masters.