"It surprised me," - Jack Nicklaus reveals Rory McIlroy didn’t reach out before skipping Memorial Tournament

Rory McIlroy will not be a part of the 2025 edition of the Memorial Tournament from May 29 to June 1, for the first time in 8 years. During a pre-tournament press conference, Jack Nicklaus revealed that the career Grand Slam winner did not reach out to the golfing legend before making the decision.

The moderator asked Nicklaus, who is hosting the tournament, if he found out that McIlroy will be absent in Dublin, Utah, this week along with the rest of the world. He replied, stating that he had a feeling about this in the middle of last week.

Here's a look at what Nicklaus had to say about Rory McIlroy's absence at the Memorial Tournament (via X @HolgateRegan):

"I was sort of aware of it about the middle of last week. And so it sort of surprises you, I guess, that he's not? Yeah, it surprised me. But you know, guys have got schedules and got things they do. And you know, I haven't talked to him for him to tell me why or why not. You know, that's just his call."

The news of Rory McIlroy opting out of this week's PGA Tour event received mixed reactions from the golf community. Some fans speculate that he is skipping the tournament after refusing to speak to the press following his driver being deemed non-conforming at the PGA Championship.

However, Jack Nicklaus said that he has nothing to comment on. The 85-year-old said that he relates to McIlroy's situation of making "difficult" decisions regarding a tournament schedule. He said,

"I made a lot of calls that I had to make when I played—to play or not play. And sometimes it wasn't as popular as people thought it was. But you know, sometimes you have to make those calls. I don't hold anything against Rory for that...You know, I really don't have a comment on this. It's very difficult, very difficult. I mean, I'm a big Rory fan, always have been and I'm sure that I will remain that way."

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Jack Nicklaus offered fans a hint into McIlroy's next tournament appearance. Stating that he likes to play a tournament the week before the US Open, the Northern Irishman's next appearance will be at the RBC Canadian Open from June 5 to 8.

Rory McIlroy commits to DP World India Championship

Rory McIlroy has committed to playing in India for the first time in his career at the 2025 DP World India Championship. The event will be played at the challenging Delhi Golf Club from October 16 to 19.

Co-sanctioned by the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), the tournament features a whopping $4 million purse prize. McIlroy's presence at the event is sure to attract a fleet of fans and inspire a new generation of golfers.

About the author

Lathika is one of the newer additions to Sportskeeda’s budding golf journalism team and has brought plenty of in-game experience to the role. Having been a golfer for over 12 years now, some of her crowning achievements include winning titles on the Indian Golf Union Ladies tour and Junior Girls Amateur tour.

She currently competes in Division 1 golf in New York, and hopes to play in the U.S. Open and Chevron Championship one day. She is set to cover the 2025 Ryder Cup as well. She is currently pursuing a degree in Business Administration and Management, and holds a Sports Marketing certification from Northwestern University, which helped her learn to draft press releases and ultimately transition into journalism.

Lathika has thus developed a knowledge base that allows her to view golf from both player, spectator and media lenses, enabling her to bring statistics, insights and an understanding of fan emotion together in her copies. She only uses verified information from reliable sources like the PGA TOUR.

Her favorite golfers are Nelly Korda and Tiger Woods, both for their playing style as well as their mental strength. Much of her time away from work is spent playing golf, but she also enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and learning new hobbies or upskilling.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua