PGA Tour confirms Rory McIlroy punishment

Rory McIlroy will be required to forfeit $3million in bonus money after failing to satisfy requirements around the PGA Tour’s new designated events series.

Tour commissioner Jay Monahan confirmed that the reigning FedEx Cup champion would be punished after skipping the recent RBC Heritage.

That was the second designated event he has missed in 2023. Per the tour’s rules, eligible players are allowed to miss only one.

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McIlroy, making his first appearance since opting out of the event at Harbour Town following a missed cut at The Masters, told reporters earlier this week that he pulled out of the RBC Heritage for his “mental and emotional wellbeing”.

Nonetheless, he will face sanctions in line with the tour’s rules around the megabucks events.

McIlroy will lose $3million from the $12million he made from last year’s Player Impact Program. The Irishman was second in the PIP standings last year.

Players received 75% of their bonus money in January with the other 25% withheld until such times as they met multiple obligations, participation in the designated events being one.

Speaking to media ahead of this week’s Wells Fargo Championship, Monahan said: “When we made the commitment to this schedule with the Player Impact Program, we adjusted for one opt-out and for any second opt-out, you forfeit 25% unless there were some medical issues.

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“When you’re in a situation like that, you just have to look at the criteria. In terms of any situation like that, we’re going to look at a situation and we’re going to make a decision.”

The PGA Tour is notoriously shy about commenting on disciplinary matters. However, several of McIlroy’s fellow players – Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas amongst them – had called for greater transparency in the wake of his decision to sit out the RBC Heritage.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor