Rory McIlroy to skip third PGA Tour signature event as he opts out of prestigious tournament
The event, which is annually hosted by golf legend Jack Nicklaus at Muirfield Village, is due to begin on May 29 but McIlroy will not be in attendance.
The Masters champion, who finished 47th at last week's US PGA Championship and refused to speak to the media throughout over a controversy surrounding the eligibility of his driver, has also skipped The Sentry and RBC Heritage earlier this year.
As it stands, McIlroy is also not down to play in the final signature event of the year, the Travelers Championship which begins on June 19, although that could change.
The World No.2 said earlier this year that he was looking to cut down on his schedule and has followed through by skipping the signature events, and he is currently not due to play until the RBC Canadian Open which begins on June 5, the week before the year's third Major, the US Open at Oakmont.
Earlier this week it was confirmed he will tee it up at the DP World Indian Championship in October, the first time he has competed in the country, as well as returning to the Australian Open in December.
McIlroy's absence from the signature events is a blow for the PGA Tour who, in creating the limited field tournaments with boosted prize funds, marketed them as a chance for fans to see the best players in their stable competing in the same weeks outside of Majors.
However, they have frequently been skipped by the top players since their inception, with World No.1 and PGA champion Scottie Scheffler having regularly not played in them as well.
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