Evidently Rory McIlroy isn’t all that crazy about traveling out to the Hawaiian Islands to start the new year and the new PGA Tour season.
The world No. 1 is skipping this week’s Tournament of Champions at Kapalua even though it is one of the 17 designated events that require the top players to show up.
There is a catch. The PGA Tour’s Player Impact Program regulations allow a player to skip one of those 17 events without an excuse. So evidently Rory is take his. He’s only played once in the Tournament of Champions at Kapalua and that was in 2019 when he finished fourth.
The 2022-23 PGA Tour season starts the 2023 portion with a 39-player field. It has 17 of the world’s top 20. Missing along with No. 1 McIlroy are world No. 3 Cam Smith and No. 20 Shane Lowry. Smith shot 34-under par at Kapalua last year and beat Jon Rahm by a shot. Smith chose to go to the LIV exhibition/circus series and was suspended by the PGA Tour. Lowry, like McIlroy, may choose to start his year on the DP World Tour.
McIlroy typically starts his season at the Dubai Desert Classic (Jan. 26-29). Lowry has never played at Kapalua.
The 17 who will show up at the Plantation Course include Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Xander Schauffele, Tony Finau, Collin Morikawa and Will Zalatoris, who will be playing for the first time since he was sidelined by a back injury in August.
