World No.1 Scottie Scheffler has rejected the chance to win another seven-figure payout at the Rocket Mortgage Classic this weekend.
Fresh from clinching the Travelers Championship, Scheffler became the first player since Tiger Woods in 2009 to win six of the eight signature PGA events in the same year. Scheffler’s latest triumph came by the narrowest of margins, defeating Tom Kim in a play-off, to earn an eye-watering $3.6m payday.
Having won The Masters, RBC Heritage, Arnold Palmer Invitational and more in recent months, Scheffler’s phenomenal season means he tops the list for the most lucrative year in PGA history and it is not over yet. However, he will not be boosting his winnings with another huge sum after opting to swerve the Rocket Mortgage Classic’s $1.3m prize this weekend.
The two-time major winner will hope to add The Open to his list of honours next month before preparing to represent the USA at the Paris Olympics. After winning the Travelers Championship, Scheffler was asked if he was fully committed to the Olympics and provided an idea of his plans for the rest of the year.
“Yeah. I’m playing The Open, the Olympics and the last three playoff events, and then I think I should be on the President’s Cup team,” he said. “After that, I’ll take a break.”
The insight into Scheffler’s upcoming schedule shows why the world No.1 has chosen to conserve his energy. Scheffler is not the only high-profile star who is set to miss the tournament at Detroit Golf Club this weekend with two of his Olympic team-mates, Xander Schauffele and Wyndham Clark, also not listed as part of the 156-player field.
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Rory McIlroy will continue his short golf hiatus after his crushing US Open defeat, with the four-time major winner setting his sights on claiming an elusive fifth title at The Open. However, McIlroy missing the Rocket Mortgage Classic is nothing new as the Northern Irishman has not played in any of the five events since its inception in 2019.
The Rocket Mortgage Classic gets underway on Thursday and the absence of star names such as Scheffler and McIlroy provides a chance for other players to earn a huge payday. Tom Kim, Cameron Young and Kim Si-woo are among the favourites, while Rickie Fowler will hope to defend his title.
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