World No. 2 Rory McIlroy SNUBS PGA Tour’s season opener The Sentry

Rory McIlroy has once again skipped The Sentry tournament while last appearing at this event in 2019.

World No. 2 Rory McIlroy SNUBS PGA Tour’s season opener The Sentry

Rory McIlroy (Pic Credit: Imago)

With the PGA Tour 2024 season opener drawing closer, golfers are getting ready to do it all over again. The first event of the year sees 59 golfers take part in The Sentry. However, one big name in Rory McIlroy will not be making an appearance at this event.

The North Irishman is one of the top guys on the circuit. Despite this, he will not be playing in the first tournament of the New Year. The reason for this has now been revealed.

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As per reports from The Mirror, the reason McIlroy has decided to skip the event is because of his other commitments. The 24-time PGA Tour winner has decided to start his year in the Middle East and will be seen competing in the DP World Tour’s Dubai Invitational.

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This though will not be the first time where McIlroy has done this. He previously claimed he was not a fan of Hawaii, the location of the tournament. The last time he appeared in his competition was back in 2019.

I'd say my schedule will look pretty much the same as it did this year. I'll most likely -- I'm not a huge Hawaii guy, so I'll probably not go to Hawaii.
Rory McIlroy on his 2024 schedule as per The Mirror.

List of other golfers taking part in The Sentry

The Sentry, formerly known as The Sentry Tournament of Champions, is one of the eight designated events of the tour. Played in Kapalua, Hawaii, this event usually serves as the opening tournament of the New Year. This year the $20 million purse prize event will see a reduced field at the Kapalua Plantation Course.

Several top stars of the PGA Tour are gearing up for the event. 38 golfers in the Top 50 world rankings are stated to be a part of the event. However, the biggest name missing from the event is defending champion Jon Rahm.

Jon Rahm
Jon Rahm (Pic Credit: Imago)

The reigning champion will not be part of the event due to his new ties with the LIV Golf. Following his massive $600 million switch to the 54-hole circuit, he was suspended by the PGA Tour. As a result of this, Rahm will be the notable absentee from this tournament alongside Rory McIlroy. Check out the list of other golfers taking part in the event from a post shared on X below:

Their exclusion from this tournament puts the spotlight on Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland, two golfers who achieved a lot of success in 2023. While Scheffler continues to reign as the No.1 golfer in the rankings, Hovland is three places behind him in fourth in the rankings.

Scheffler also comes into this tournament with some momentum on his side as he emerged victorious in the recent Hero World Challenge. Meanwhile, golf great Tiger Woods will not be appearing at this event as he previously claimed he would take it slow and appear at one event per month during his comeback.

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