Rory McIlroy pulls out of tournament as Masters winner gives up chance at £14.8m

Rory McIlroy pulls out of tournament as Masters winner gives up chance at £14.8mRory McIlroy remains primed to defend his Masters title as he sits in a shared lead heading into the final round but has decided to opt out of a tournamentCommentsSportBen Crawford Senior Sports Writer and Amos Murphy08:43, 12 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesRory McIlroy is still hunting to retain his Masters crown(Image: Getty)Rory McIlroy remains in contention to retain his title at the Masters after his six-shot lead was extinguished on Saturday. But he has already made a decision about a different upcoming tournament.‌The Northern Irishman would become only the fourth player in Masters history to secure consecutive titles if he were to do so, with Tiger Woods the last to achieve this in 2002. McIlroy had shared the lead after day one, but knew precisely when to step on the gas in round two, establishing a commanding six-shot advantage over joint second-placed Sam Burns and Patrick Reed.‌He did see the pack close in on him during the third round and he now shares the lead at Augusta National once again with Cameron Young on -11. Yet, irrespective of where he finishes in Georgia, he won't be in action in the week to follow.‌That's because, once again, McIlroy is choosing to skip the upcoming RBC Heritage in South Carolina. It's the first tournament after the Masters and McIlroy has frequently opted to bypass the £14.8million-purse event as he recovers from the opening major championship of the year.JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! All the best sports news and much more on our dedicated Facebook pageREAD MORE: Rory McIlroy takes immediate action after squandering six-shot Masters leadREAD MORE: Shane Lowry makes feelings clear on Masters chances with Scottie Scheffler predictionMcIlroy didn't compete in the event last year, but three years ago, the golfing star was hit with a substantial penalty for his withdrawal.‌View 3 ImagesThe 36-year-old was caught up on Saturday(Image: Getty)That&#x...