Jack Nicklaus ‘surprised' after Rory McIlroy's Memorial snub

Yahoo

27-05-2025

Jack Nicklaus described himself 'surprised' that Rory McIlroy neglected to contact him before scratching his name from this week's Memorial Tournament.
This will be the first time in eight years that McIlroy has missed the $20 million (£14.8 million) PGA Tour 'signature event' that Nicklaus promotes on the Muirfield Village course that he also built. Of the top 50 in the world rankings, McIlroy is only one of six missing, with two of them (Bryson DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton) deemed ineligible because of their LIV Golf membership.
McIlroy's absence, and lack of explanation, has inevitably raised the most eyebrows, particularly as it such a special year for the event with Nicklaus's wife, Barbara, being honoured on the 50th anniversary of the Memorial being staged in Dublin, Ohio, the hometown of the game's most garlanded male golfer.
It will also be noted that McIlroy was a driving factor in the formation of the signature events to ensure the Tour's best played against each other because of the threat of LIV, the Saudi-funded breakaway circuit.
Furthermore – and perhaps most bafflingly on a personal level – McIlroy sought out Nicklaus, 85, for advice ahead of last month's Masters and acknowledged employing this guidance finally to end his wait for a Green Jacket and become just the sixth player in history to complete the men's career grand slam (an exclusive club that, of course, already included Nicklaus, as well as Tiger Woods, Gary Player, Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan).
Yet despite last month's Masters champion telling Telegraph Sport later last year that he intended to pare back his 2025 schedule, McIlroy's radio silence to Nicklaus – who lives close to the icon in South Florida – and lack of apology has stunned insiders. And, although he sought to play down this perceived snub, it was clear in Tuesday's press conference, that Nicklaus, himself, was taken aback.
'I didn't have a conversation with him [about not playing],' Nicklaus, the 18-time major winner, said. 'I was a bit surprised, yes.' When later pressed on the issue, he added: 'It surprised me, but guys have schedules and things they do. I haven't talked to Rory for him to tell me why or why not. That's his call. I don't hold anything against Rory for that. I'm a big Rory fan and I'll remain that way. So, you know, I really don't have a comment on it. It's very difficult, very difficult. But I was surprised, yes.'
Jack Nicklaus says Rory never contacted him to say he wasn't playing the memorial golf tournament this week #rory #jacknicklaus #pga ⁦@MemorialGolf⁩ pic.twitter.com/sTeVrbJZfX
— Ladiestees (@Ladiestees1) May 27, 2025
McIlroy was last seen at the US PGA Championship – the season's second major – two weeks ago, where for the first time in his professional career he refused to talk to the media on all four competition days. It did come to light that on his way to a tie for 47th, that his driver had failed a conformance test two days before the first round at Quail Hollow and many speculated that was the factor that convinced him to remain uncharacteristically tight-lipped.
Yet Nicklaus's disclosure is bound only to heighten the mystery surrounding McIlroy and his odd mood, following the fulfilment of his lifelong dream, just three events ago. With nothing emerging from the Northern Irishman's camp, it was left to Nicklaus to justify McIlroy's actions.
'I know he likes to play so many [tournaments] in a row,' Nicklaus said, referring to McIlroy's entry in next week's Canadian Open, as well as the following week's US Open at Oakmont and then the Travelers Championship. 'Rory likes to play the week before a US Open. And so, that's what he's doing.'