AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Rory McIlroy was one of many strongest voices in non-public participant conferences that led to a season during which prime gamers agreed to play in 17 designated occasions. A later replace allowed them to overlook a kind of occasions.

McIlroy now has missed two and dangers shedding $3 million of his $12 million Participant Impression Program bonus.

McIlroy was a favourite on the Masters after which shot 77 within the second spherical to overlook the reduce. Three days later, he withdrew from this week’s RBC Heritage with its $20 million purse. He already withdrew from one other designated occasion, the Sentry Match of Champions at Kapalua, initially of the yr.

In saying the PIP leads to November — McIlroy was No. 2 behind Tiger Woods — the tour initially stated 25% of the bonus can be paid after Kapalua. A memo despatched to gamers in December stated 75% can be paid after Kapalua, and the remaining paid when a participant met the remainder of his obligations, which included taking part in in 16 of 17 designated occasions.

So now what?

McIlroy has not stated what led to his withdrawal from Hilton Head, whether or not it was an damage, household emergency or another cause that might excuse him. After which there’s the footnote on the backside of the PIP:

“The Commissioner, in his sole discretion, might modify, waive, or regulate eligibility necessities, program commitments and/or program metrics based mostly on extraordinary circumstances.”

As sturdy a voice as McIlroy has been towards the specter of Saudi-funded LIV Golf, the tour has to weigh whether or not to implement its coverage or give McIlroy a $3 million approach out for his management throughout such radical change and division in golf.

McIlroy by no means spoke on the Masters after lacking the reduce. Storms rolled in as he completed, the second spherical was suspended and Augusta Nationwide ordered the course evacuated.

Jason Day and Alex Noren additionally withdrew from the RBC Heritage. Day completed 18th within the PIP whereas Noren was not among the many prime 23 gamers and has no obligations.

SLOW PLAY

The ultimate spherical of the Masters took almost 5 hours in twosomes, and Brooks Koepka was not in the least comfortable. Koepka and Masters champion Jon Rahm are recognized to not dawdle with regards to golf.

“The group in entrance of us was brutally sluggish,” Koepka stated. “Jon went to the lavatory like seven instances throughout the spherical, and we had been nonetheless ready.”

Patrick Cantlay and Viktor Hovland had been within the group in entrance. Cantlay on Tuesday stated Koepka and Rahm weren’t the one ones ready.

“We completed the primary gap, and the group in entrance of us was on the second tee after we walked as much as the second tee, and we waited all day on just about each shot,” Cantlay stated on the RBC Heritage. “We waited in 15 fairway, we waited in 18 fairway. I think about it was sluggish for everybody.”

Anecdotally, the tempo of play is changing into a number one subject once more. There was one stretch the place the PGA Tour didn’t make the 36-hole reduce till Saturday (aside from occasions with a number of programs) from November at Mayakoba till the center of March.

“While you play a golf course like Augusta Nationwide the place all the opening places are on a number of slope and the greens are actually quick, it’s simply going to take longer and longer to gap out,” Cantlay stated. “I feel which will have been what attributed to a number of the sluggish play on Sunday, after which additionally when the wind is gusting and the wind is blowing possibly inconsistently, that’s when guys will take a very long time, too.”

MASTERS RATINGS

The lengthy last day on the Masters pulled in large numbers for CBS Sports activities, which stories simply over 16.2 million viewers mixed throughout all platforms for the conclusion of the rain-delayed third spherical and the ultimate spherical.

Jon Rahm overcame a two-shot deficit towards Brooks Koepka, with 52-year-old Phil Mickelson making a late run with a 65. Rahm beat each by 4 photographs ultimately.

CBS stated the ultimate spherical alone averaged simply over 12 million viewers, up 19% from final yr and the excessive quantity for a golf telecast on any community since simply over 13 million viewers for the 2018 Masters.

LAWSUIT UPDATE

Concerning the time Augusta Nationwide was clearing away three pine bushes that fell throughout Friday’s second spherical of the Masters, a federal choose in California had little selection however to delay any potential trial date in LIV Golf’s antitrust lawsuit towards the PGA Tour.

U.S. District Choose Beth Labson Freeman vacated the Jan. 8, 2024, trial date. She has set Jan. 11, 2024 for a listening to on abstract judgement, indicating the earliest the trial might be can be 4 months later.

A part of the delay is as a result of Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund and its governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, are interesting Freeman’s ruling that they can’t declare sovereign immunity underneath the Overseas Providers Immunity Act due to their industrial exercise.

The case administration listening to bought testy towards the top. Freeman was setting a trial date for Might when the lawyer for the PIF argued in regards to the choose limiting pages to 25 per facet for a movement. Freeman stated the PIF and LIV must share the web page restrict.

“I’m not setting a abstract judgement schedule, it’s vacated. I’m not setting a trial, it’s vacated and I’ll now have a look at my schedule after I can hear all your motions,” Freeman stated. “It could be two years from now.”

She finally caught with the Jan. 11 listening to with out setting a trial date.

Freeman additionally was leaning towards a Saudi request to listen to the instances individually — the antitrust case towards the PGA Tour and the tour’s countersuit claiming LIV interfered.

LIV Golf can be in its third season on the earliest when the case goes to trial.

ASIAN TOUR TO THE UK

The Asian Tour is increasing within the U.Ok.

The Asian Tour’s Worldwide Collection was held within the London space final yr — one week earlier than the debut of LIV Golf.

The London space occasion this yr can be Aug. 17-20, adopted per week later by the Asian Tour’s first event in Scotland, the St. Andrews Bay Championship on the Torrance course on the Fairmont St. Andrews resort.

LIV Golf has pumped some $300 million into the Asian Tour, significantly its Worldwide Collection occasions that permit for promotion to the LIV Golf league. A number of LIV Golf gamers have competed in Worldwide Collection occasions on the Asian Tour.

The collection this yr goes to Oman, Qatar, Thailand, Vietnam (this week) and the U.Ok.

“That is testomony to the worldwide imaginative and prescient of The Worldwide Collection,” stated Cho Minn Thant, the commissioner and CEO of the Asian Tour.

DIVOTS

Phil Mickelson earned $1,584,000 from his tie for second within the Masters. That’s roughly the identical as he has made in his seven LIV Golf occasions mixed. Mickelson now has 10 finishes within the prime three on the Masters, second solely to the 12 by Jack Nicklaus. … The Kevin and Brittany Kisner Basis has given $1.2 million to Kids’s Hospital of Georgia. The present is a part of the muse’s $5.3 million pledge to create the Kisner Basis & Associates Middle for Pediatric Growth, Behavioral Well being and Effectively-being on the hospital. … Patrick Reed and U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick had been the one gamers with each spherical at par or higher within the Masters this yr.

STAT OF THE WEEK

The final 4 Masters champions had at the very least a four-shot lead after they stood on the fifteenth tee Sunday.

FINAL WORD

“I really like these weeks a lot that I hate having to attend one other yr for this to return round.” — Shane Lowry after the Masters.

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