Why are top golfers Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy & Jon Rahm skipping back-to-back PGA Tour events?
After skipping the 3M Open last week, top-ranked golfers like Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Jon Rahm are also absent from this week's Wyndham Championship.
The Wyndham Championship field lacks star power, with World No. 20 Sam Burns being the highest-ranked golfer featured in this week's lineup. Most of the top players have opted to rest before the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Since the introduction of the concept of designated elevated events, the highest-ranked players have been required to participate in 13 elevated events. This is in addition to the four majors. However, they were allowed to skip one of these 13 events.
Missing more than one designated event could result in a substantial fine. For the uninitiated, Rory McIlroy was heavily fined for skipping the RBC Heritage.
As a result, the schedule for the top golfers has become tightly packed, leaving little room for rest in between. Therefore, it's understandable to see the top players opting out of events that are not mandatory for them to play.
Both McIlroy and Scheffler have never competed in the Wyndham Championship, and Rahm made his sole appearance in 2016. The tournament falls at the end of the regular PGA Tour season, and since most of the top players have already qualified for the Playoffs, they lack a convincing reason to participate here.
Although the regular season is getting over, there is still a lot of action left on the PGA Tour. This month will witness three final events: the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the BMW Championship, and the TOUR Championship.
The big names will like to keep them fresh ahead of these events. The 2023 Ryder Cup is also scheduled to take place later in September.
Where will Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Jon Rahm play next?
The top-ranked golfers will next be seen competing at the 2023 FedEx St. Jude Championship, scheduled to take place from August 10 to August 13 at TPC Southwind.
Only the top 70 golfers in the FedEx Cup standings qualify for the Playoffs. This week's Wyndham Championship is their final opportunity to secure a spot within the top 70 in the standings.
The purse size of the FedEx St. Jude Championship will be $20 million, with the winner receiving a share of $3.6 million.
Rahm is at the top of the standings with 3,320 points. The Spaniard has claimed four titles this year, including the 2023 Masters. He also secured a runner-up position at the Mexico Open.
Scottie Scheffler has amassed 3,143 points with two title victories this season. He has finished outside of the top 20 only once this year, which was at the Open Championship. From the AT&T Byron Nelson to the Genesis Scottish Open, he has achieved seven consecutive top-5 finishes.
McIlroy commenced the season with a CJ Cup victory but encountered difficulty securing another win for most of the year. However, in the latter half of the season, he regained some form and ultimately ended his drought at the Scottish Open.
The 34-year-old Northern Irishman has accumulated 2,304 FedEx Cup points this season.