Jack Nicklaus responds to Rory McIlroy tournament snub

Jack Nicklaus has weighed in on the absence of Rory McIlroy at his tournament on the PGA Tour this week.

The 18-time major champion is hosting the annual Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village, one of eight Signature Events in the United States.

But, following an uncharacteristic showing at last week’s PGA Championship, McIlroy has opted to skip the tournament for the first time since 2017.

“I didn’t have a conversation with him, no,” said Nicklaus, who was then asked if the decision surprised him. “A little bit,” he replied.

While McIlroy has not confirmed why he isn’t in the limited field, it’s likely just a result of an increasingly busy schedule.

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The 36-year-old, who said last year that he’d like to cut down the number of events he played, plans to compete at next week’s RBC Canadian Open.

Of course, the US Open follows that regular PGA Tour event, while McIlroy is also likely to contest the Travelers Championship, another Signature Event, one week later.

“It surprised me. But, you know, guys have got schedules and got things they do,” Nicklaus said. “I haven’t talked to him for him to tell me why or why not. It’s just his call.

“I made a lot of calls that I had to make when I played to play or not play, and sometimes it wasn’t as popular as people thought it was. But sometimes you have to make those calls.

“I don’t hold anything against Rory for that. He did what he likes to play. I know he likes to play so many in a row. He likes to play the week before a US Open. And that’s what he’s doing.”

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Ahead of the Masters, Nicklaus spent considerable time with McIlroy discussing how he would finally complete the career grand slam.

And the gameplan worked.

“I sat down with Rory last week and we had lunch,” Nicklaus said at Augusta National, “and we were talking, and I said, Rory, I know you prepared for Augusta; tell me how you’re going to play the golf course.

“We went through it shot for shot. And he got done with the round, and I didn’t open my mouth. And I said, well, I wouldn’t change a thing. That’s exactly the way I would try to play the golf course.”

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Tryst Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.