Rory McIlroy Explains Skipping RBC Heritage After He ‘Sucked’ at the Masters

After he missed the cut at the Masters, Rory McIlroy made the decision to withdraw from the following week’s RBC Heritage.

The decision was a costly one, as missing a second Designated Event this season reportedly came with losing a percentage of his Player Impact Program bonus, which came to around $3 million.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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But McIlroy, who is returning after three weeks off to play the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow, said he really didn’t have much of a choice but to not play at Harbour Town.

“I would have been doing myself a disservice and doing the people around me a disservice” had he played at Hilton Head, McIlroy said Tuesday.

He added that golf had “totally consumed” him for the past year with much of his thinking going toward trying to win the Masters, which is the one major that’s eluded him.

McIlroy said:

“Honestly, I thought I was going to have the best Masters I have ever had. That’s not the right mindset to have. You need to be thinking about the present moment.”

Instead, he summed up his two-day performance at Augusta in two words: “It sucked.”

🗣️ “A needed break.”

Rory McIlroy said he skipped the RBC Heritage for mental health related reasons following his missed cut at the Masters. 💬 pic.twitter.com/kjNmt0AqTK

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 2, 2023

McIlroy said he didn’t take much time to reset after a 2022 that saw plenty of ups and downs: a FedEx Cup championship but several close calls at majors, including losing the 150^th Open Championship at St. Andrews on the final day. Plus, he has been one of the public faces for the PGA Tour in its public feud with LIV Golf.

McIlroy said:

“I think I have always thought I had a good handle and perspective on things and where golf fits within my life. But I think over the last 12 months I had sort of lost sight of that and I had lost sight of the fact that there is more to life than the golf world.”

“I think I gained a little bit of perspective, and once I disconnected, I could see things a little clearer and see where everything fits within my life. It was a good reset.”

McIlroy is picking a good course for his return. He’s won three times at Quail Hollow and set the course record here in 2015.

Cover Image Via Irish Times