Rory McIlroy Will Lose Millions From PGA Tour For Skipping RBC Heritage
Rory McIlory will lose $3 million of his Player Impact Program payout this year due to skipping this week’s RBC Heritage tournament in South Carolina.
McIlroy, who missed the cut at the Masters last week, withdrew on Monday from the tournament, one of 12 designated events this year on the PGA Tour schedule, not including the four major championships and the Players Championship.
A source told Sports Illustrated that McIlroy is being docked one-fourth of his $12 million payout because he has opted out of a designated event for a second time.
All players were allowed one opt-out, and McIlroy had already skipped the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Golf Channel reported on air Wednesday that McIlroy would lose a portion of his Player Impact Program (PIP) payout.
McIlroy and Tiger Woods last year led a group of players who pushed for changes on the PGA Tour schedule that included more elite events, most of which have a $20 million purse this year, largely in response to the LIV Golf League threat. The idea was to get a majority of the top players competing in the same tournaments more often.
When the program was announced last fall, it was tied to the PIP, a bonus pool based on numerous factors, some of which go beyond performance on the course. The bonus pool was $100 million for 2022. Woods got the top spot and was to receive $15 million, with McIlroy finishing second and getting $12 million.
The Tour laid out payment stipulations that required participation in all of the designated events – with the ability to skip one – in order to receive the full bonus.
Players were paid 75 percent of the bonus in January, with the rest to come upon completion of the criteria at the end of this year. (Note: an earlier version of this story said that the Tour paid 25 percent of the bonus in January, but a second source confirmed that the Tour in fact paid 75 percent.) Included in the criteria were stipulations that required playing in all of the events (with one opt-out); adding three other events to the schedule, one of which is in collaboration with the Tour; and agreeing to a Tour-related function such as a clinic, meet and greet, reception, etc.
Commissioner Jay Monahan said he had discretion over how the bonus money would be paid out and would take into consideration injury factors or personal reasons if a player had to skip more than one event.
Next year, the program is being changed. The PIP pool is being reduced to $50 million and will not be tied to the designated events, which will shrink to eight outside of the majors, the Players and the three FedEx Cup playoff events.
This year’s designated events are the Sentry Tournament of Champions, WM Phoenix Open, the Genesis Invitational, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the WGC-Match Play, the RBC Heritage, the Wells Fargo Championship, the Memorial Tournament and the Travelers Championship.
The three added events will not be required next year, nor will a player have to participate in any of the designated events.