The PGA Tour returns for 2024 later this week at the season-opening Sentry Tournament, but the event will go ahead without one of the Tour’s biggest names in Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy will not compete in the opening PGA Tour event of 2024 at the Sentry Tournament in Kapalua, Hawaii later this week.
One of the eight official events on the PGA Tour is The Sentry (formerly known as The Sentry Tournament of Champions). In the opening week of the new season, a smaller field will compete for a £15.9 million ($20 million) prize fund.
Sixty players qualified for the season’s first event in Hawaii, but only fifty-nine have made the decision to travel; the only player who has not chosen to play is 24-time PGA Tour winner Rory McIlroy.
The world No. 2 has previously decided not to begin his campaign in the United States, focusing instead on the first swing of the DP World Tour. McIlroy, who entered the Dubai Invitational, will begin his year in the Middle East next week.
He has committed to competing in the Dubai Desert Classic, which he has won three times, a week later, and will subsequently play back-to-back events on the Wentworth circuit. Given that McIlroy hasn’t attended The Sentry since 2019, many people won’t be surprised by his absence.
Speaking in August of last year, following the PGA Tour’s approval of its 2024 schedule, the Northern Irishman dismissed the possibility of him visiting Hawaii. The former world number one stated last summer, “I’d say my schedule will look pretty much the same as it did this year.”
“I’ll probably not go to Hawaii because I’m not a big fan of Hawaii.” The defending champion of the tournament, Jon Rahm, will not be playing at the Kapalua Plantation Course either. Last month, he joined LIV Golf, which resulted in his PGA Tour membership being suspended.
Rahm has established himself as a bit of an expert on the Hawaiian course in recent years; he placed second in 2022 and went on to win the competition a year later. However, after switching to Saudi Arabia, he will not be able to defend his title this time.
The Masters winner has joined the ranks of Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, and other well-known players who have forfeited their playing rights in exchange for a spot in the LIV. Rahm hopes that despite his ban, he will eventually be able to play on the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour, and all three of LIV Golf because a framework agreement is about to be finalized.
He declared last month that he intended to keep his status on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. “I refuse to give that up.” With the freedom LIV provides, hopefully, I’ll be able to play both of those tours. If my schedule permits, there are specific PGA Tour events that I would like to participate in. If it’s feasible, I would like to see that through.
