Rory McIlroy has decided to take a pass on the PGA Tour's upcoming stop at Trump National Doral, signaling that even a $20 million purse isn't enough to pull him away from his major championship focus.
The six-time major winner won't tee it up at the Blue Monster next week, according to reports that surfaced Friday. McIlroy last competed at the Masters on April 12, where he captured his second straight green jacket in dominant fashion. He then skipped the RBC Heritage, which saw Matt Fitzpatrick edge Scottie Scheffler in a playoff.
Now, the Northern Irishman is sitting out the first PGA Tour event at the Trump-owned course in a decade. No official comment has come from McIlroy as of Saturday morning, but the golf world is already buzzing with support for his decision.
Fans have flooded social media, applauding the world No. 1 for prioritizing the majors over a lucrative signature event. “He is preparing in best way he believes for the next major. Quail is a much more suitable course,” one fan wrote, referencing Quail Hollow Club, host of the upcoming Truist Championship. Another fan bluntly stated, “I personally wouldn’t step on a Trump property but that’s just me.”
The sentiment echoes a broader theme: McIlroy has earned the right to cherry-pick his schedule. “If Rory wants to play the 4 majors and half a dozen other events, he has earned that right,” declared a third supporter. A fourth fan pointed to the packed PGA Tour calendar, calling the snub “a statement on the PGA Tour scheduling and cramming Signature events in the midst of the major schedule. Rory is focusing on the majors.”
McIlroy is expected to return to action either at the Truist Championship starting May 7 or, more likely, at the PGA Championship on May 14. With two majors already in the bag this year, all eyes will be on him to see if he can add a seventh — and perhaps a third consecutive — major title.
While the Cadillac Championship boasts a monster payday, McIlroy’s absence underscores his laser focus on history. He’s already won the Masters and the Open Championship in 2025, and a win at the PGA would put him in rarefied air.
The decision also adds fuel to ongoing conversations about player autonomy and the Tour’s signature event strategy. As controversy swirls around fan behavior at PGA Tour events, McIlroy’s choice to sit out a Trump property is unlikely to quiet the debate.
Regardless of the reasons, the message is clear: Rory McIlroy is playing his own game, and the majors are his only scorecard.
