Scottie Scheffler's absence from Canadian Open might just be a relief for Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy
gets back to having a scorecard in his back pocket for this week's PGA Tour stop at the RBC Canadian Open. He won't have to worry about Scottie Scheffler, which is unlikely to come as a disappointment as the American has won won three of his last four tournaments.
McIlroy skipped the Memorial, which didn't please tournament host Jack Nicklaus, who claimed to be 'surprised' at the decision. He plays for the first time since a disappointing US PGA (tied-47th) at Quail Hollow last month, where his TaylorMade driver failed a pre-championship characteristic time (CT) test prior to the first round.
A two-time winner of the Canadian Open, McIlroy – who didn't fulfil any media duties through the four rounds of the PGA, which was won by Scheffler – is scheduled for a pre-tournament media conference on Wednesday.
He is one of three Irish players in the field at the
Canadian
Open, along with
Shane Lowry
and Séamus Power. Both McIlroy and Lowry are using the event in Toronto as the final tournament fine-tuner ahead of next week's US Open at Oakmont.
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Meanwhile,
Rickie Fowler's tied-seventh finish behind Scheffler in the Memorial
was sufficient to win him an exemption into the field for the Open at Royal Portrush in July.
'The definite positive is going over to Portrush,' said Fowler. 'That's one I've wanted on the schedule. I had a great time when we were there last and had a decent showing as well. Links golf is my favourite, Portrush is a great spot and I'm so excited for that opportunity.'
Mikiya Akutsu, Song Young-han and Riki Kawamoto have also qualified for the Open through the Mizuno Open on the Japanese PGA Tour.
Irish courses make the grade for Student Tour Series
Lahinch Golf Club, Co Clare, will host the 2026 Walker Cup. Photograph: Oisin Keniry/Inpho
A number of Ireland's leading links and parkland courses have been confirmed by the R&A as venues for international matches and Student Tour Series championships in 2026.
Lahinch Golf Club in Co Clare will play host to the Walker Cup for the first time on September 5th and 6th next year, while The Island Golf Club in north county Dublin has been announced as the host venue for both the Jacques Léglise Trophy and the Junior Vagliano Trophy on August 21st and 22nd, 2026.
Malone Golf Club in
Belfast
, meanwhile, will host one of the Student Tour Series events. The series begins in Halmstad, Sweden, this September before continuing on to the Belfast venue from October 7th to 9th. Further tournaments take place in Portugal and Spain early next year before the Grand Final at St Andrews, Scotland, on March 30th and April 1st, 2026.
The R&A also announced that the 123rd Women's Amateur Championship will make its debut at Muirfield, Scotland in June, 2026.
Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, executive director of championships at The R&A, said: 'It is a priority for The R&A to reinforce the status of our amateur championships, international matches and Student Tour Series as leading events in elite amateur golf. We aim to attract the best players from around the world and staging these competitions at some of the game's most prestigious venues in 2026 underlines their importance.'
'We are particularly pleased that Muirfield will host the Women's Amateur Championship for the first time, adding another significant chapter to the championship's distinguished history.'
Word of Mouth
'Ben Griffin's a nice player, Sepp Straka is a nice player, Nick Taylor is a nice player. Those were all the guys that were there basically coming down the stretch. But he knows that those guys, you know, are not in his league' –
Memorial tournament host Jack Nicklaus doesn't hold back in placing world number one Scottie Scheffler in a different league to everyone else.
By the Numbers: 5/1
There are five Irish players – Lauren Walsh, Anna Foster, Annabel Wilson, Sara Byrne and Canice Screene – competing in this week's Tenerife Open on the Ladies European Tour.
Conor Purcell, meanwhile, is the lone Irishman competing in the KLM Open in Amsterdam on the DP World Tour.
On this day: June 3rd, 2001
'I had the luck of the Irish,' exclaimed Thomas Levet, after he proved a surprise winner of the British Masters at Woburn. The Frenchman emerged from a four-man playoff to claim what would be the second of six career wins on the European Tour.
Thomas Levet acknowledges the fans after winning the 2001 British Masters at Woburn. Photograph: Andrew Redington/Allsport
Levet explained the Irish connection by saying he had found a coin with the harp emblem prior to the final round of the tournament. He proceeded to use the coin as his ball marker.
Three years after his breakthrough win on the European circuit which came in the Cannes Open, Levet – who started the tournament as 125/1 outsider and was widely available at 50/1 ahead of the final round when he trailed leader David Howell by four shots – finished with a 69 for a total of 14-under-par 274. That saw him join Howell, Robert Karlsson and Mathias Gronberg before finally getting the job done with a birdie on the third hole of sudden death.
It was Levet's second win in 255 tour events and his joy was such that he celebrated with a victory run around the green where he high-fived spectators in the gallery.
Social Swings
'I believe we have a winner…strawberry Oreo here at memorial might be the best milkshake I've had. Tastes like Neapolitan with small bits of Oreo. 9.5/10
'Apparently the record for one person is 22(!!) shakes in a week…"
Michael Kim fared better off the course than on it as chief milkshake marker.
I believe we have a winner… strawberry Oreo here at memorial might be the best milkshake I've had. Tastes like Neapolitan with small bits of Oreo. 9.5/10
Apparently the record for one person is 22(!!) shakes in a week… 🤯
— Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714)
'Many people are fortunate to have good wives, but very few are blessed with someone truly phenomenal. You, Barbara Nicklaus, are simply the best. Of all the individuals ever honoured through this tournament, you stand out as the most respected and most deserving. You embody patience, grace and unwavering love, and in my eyes, there is no greater work in the dictionary' –
Gary Player clearly favours the decision to award Jack Nicklaus's wife Barbara at the Memorial tournament.
'Just the second player ever to defend their title at the Memorial, Scottie made history again, hitting green after green in regulation and gaining an eye-popping +15 strokes on the field with a complete game from tee to green. The numbers never cease to amaze #SpiderTour #TeamTaylormade' –
TaylorMade using their social media platforms to showcase Scheffler's wizardry, after their man joined Tiger Woods as the only players to go back-to-back at Jack's Place.
In the Bag
Maja Stark - US Women's Open
Swedish golfer Maja Stark won the US Women's Open at Erin Hills Golf Course, Wisconsin. Photograph:Driver: Ping G430 MAX 10k 9 @ 9.5˚
3-wood: Ping G430 MAX 15 degrees @ 15.5˚
4-hybrid: Ping G430 22 degrees @ 21˚
Irons: Ping Blueprint S 4-PW
Wedges: Ping S159 (50˚ and 54˚ ), Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks (58˚)
Putter: Ping Anser 2
Ball: Titleist ProV1
Know the rules
Q
A player realises that their putter shaft became bent when they slammed it into the ground after scoring an eight on the previous hole. They want to continue to use the club with the bent shaft. What is the ruling?
A
The player may continue to use the club in its damaged state for the rest of the round. Under Rule 4.1a(2), 'if a conforming club is damaged during a round, it is treated as conforming and may still be used for the rest of the round.'
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McIlroy is one of three Irish players in the field in Toronto ahead of next week's US Open at Oakmont, with Shane Lowry – the third best ranked player in the field after McIlroy and Ludvig Aberg based off the world rankings – and Séamus Power also chasing the title which was won last year by Robert MacIntyre. Lowdown Purse: $9.8 million/€8.65 million ($1.76 million to the winner/€1.55 million). Where: Caledon, Ontario. The course: TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) – 7,389 yards, par 70 – is designed by Ian Andrew and is playing host to the tournament for the first time after undergoing significant renovation through 2023 and 2024 to prepare for the PGA Tour event. The course is a public facility. It is seen as a second shot golf course with an emphasis on approach play to greens well protected by strategic bunkering. The field: No Scottie Scheffler this week as he rests up ahead of next week's US Open so it is Rory McIlroy's turn to sprinkle the star dust in his quest for a third Canadian Open title. McIlroy and Ryder Cup team-mate Ludvig Aberg are the only two players from the world's top-10 in the field as many take a break ahead of Oakmont. Quote-Unquote: 'The last two weeks have been pretty good for me, I'm starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. It's not been kind of easy sailing for me this year. It's been a little bit of trying to fix certain things. But now I feel like we're on the right path and the game's starting to kind of merge together.' – defending champion Robert MacIntyre on turning his game around. The Scot is playing for the fifth straight week on tour and has four top-10s so far this season. Irish in the field: McIlroy is grouped with Aberg and Luke Clanton, making his pro debut, as part of the early wave (off the 10th, 12.40pm Irish time); Shane Lowry is in a three-ball with MacIntyre and Corey Conners, the top ranked Canadian off the world rankings (off the 1st at 5.55pm Irish time); while Séamus Power is grouped with Peter Malnati and Rafael Campos (off the 1st at 6.06pm). Aside from his tournament ambitions, Power will also be chasing one of three spots available for those not already exempt for the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush. Betting: McIlroy is looking for a third win at the tournament (at a third different venue) and, playing for the first time since the US PGA, is market leader at 4-1 with Aberg next at 12-1 and Shane Lowry alongside Corey Conners at 20s. However, better value may lie elsewhere: Nick Taylor is coming off a top-5 at the Memorial and looks decently priced at 40-1 each-way, while Erik van Rooyen's performance in the US Open qualifying would suggest the Springbok has found some form and is worth a look each-way at 80-1. On TV: Live on Sky Sports (early round coverage from 5pm).
