World number 1 Rory McIlroy will not be at the start of the Tournament of Champions which brings together 17 of the world’s top 20 players for the first tournament of the new year next week.
The 2023 PGA Tour season started in mid-September, but the first key event is traditionally the one that brings together the winners of the previous year’s tournaments but also now the players qualified for the final of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, on the Plantation Course in Kapalua located on the island of Maui in Hawaii.
With its endowment increased to 15 million dollars, the back-to-school event features in the list of the 12 “boosted tournaments” of the PGA Tour. Won last year by Cameron Smith who since has “moved” to the LIVthis tournament will however mark the return to business of 17 of the 20 best players in the world.
The list of 39 registered players was communicated on Friday by the PGA Tour and will be at the start, among others: Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Tony Finau or Will Zalatoris back from injury.
The world No. 7 American was kept off the fairways by back pain that arose a week after his maiden PGA Tour victory at the FedEx St Jude Championship in August.
The 2022-23 PGA TOUR Season resumes at next week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions.
39 players, including 17 of the top 20 in the Official World Golf Ranking, are set to compete: pic.twitter.com/vxq9YAjN0P
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) December 30, 2022
Rory for the first time in Phoenix!
Very nice people but no world number 1 Rory McIlroy, who generally postpones his return to the American circuit in February. In the past, the Northern Irish have only taken part in the Tournament of Champions once. It was in 2019 when he placed 4th.
Other notable defections among the world’s top 20 include current world No. 3 Cameron Smith, banned by the PGA Tour and who will therefore not defend his title, and Shane Lowry. The Irishman does not usually set foot in the United States before the “Florida Swing” is at the end of February – beginning of March.
Note that by deciding to ignore this 1st tournament considered “boosted”, Rory McIlroy is now required to participate in the other 11 without exception. As an immediate consequence, he will be in Arizona for the Phoenix Open the second week of February. It will be the first time in his entire career that Rory will line up at the start of this tournament with such a special atmosphere.
Photo © David Cannon/Getty Images
