Report: McIlroy To Lose $3m For Skipping RBC Heritage

The PGA Tour will reportedly withhold $3m of Rory McIlroy's PIP money as punishment for his missing the RBC Heritage

Rory McIlroy at the 2023 Masters
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Rory McIlroy's decision to pull out of the RBC Heritage could cost him a cool $3 million with reports suggesting the PGA Tour will dock him a quarter of his Player Impact Program (PIP) money.

A ninth attempt to complete the career Grand Slam came crashing down at Augusta National last week when McIlroy missed the cut.

It was a bitter blow for the Northern Irishman having gone into the first Major of the season in great form and looking more focused than ever on slipping on that Green Jacket.

After missing the cut, though, the four-time Major champion then pulled out of the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links - which is one of the PGA Tour's new designated events.

Players are only allowed to miss one of these new elevated events, and after McIlroy also skipped the Sentry Tournament of Champions it meant he'd breached the rule he in part had helped implement.

The Golf Channel reported on Wednesday that missing the event in South Carolina would result in McIlroy forfeiting some of his PIP money, and now Sports Illustrated says that it will be a big chunk with $3m reportedly being taken off him.

McIlroy and Tiger Woods were part of the decision-making process that led to more elite events, most with $20m prize purses, being introduced this season on the PGA Tour.

The PIP bonus pot is tied in some part to completing the criteria for this season, which includes appearing at every designated event apart from one they are able to skip.

McIlroy earned $12m for finishing second to Woods in the 2022 PIP standings, but having been paid $9m of that in January, Jay Monahan has the discretion to withhold part of the remaining cash. 

Many feel having a designated event the week after The Masters made little sense, but champion Jon Rahm is teeing it up among all the other big guns, and it now seems that McIlroy will have to pay for his absence.

Paul Higham
Contributor

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.