Rory McIlroy headlines list of absentees as Donald | Golf News

After a 10-year absence, the PGA Tour makes its return to Miami and Trump National Doral for the inaugural Cadillac Championship, though a number of of the circuit’s largest names are nowhere to be discovered. While 72 gamers, including Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler, will tee it up at Doral’s Blue Monster — which now options a new 15-foot statue of the president — a notable quantity of rivals are giving the event a cross.

High-profile gamers such as Masters champion Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick have chosen to sit this one out. Fitzpatrick, the world No. 3, can be absent after successful last week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans with his youthful brother Alex Fitzpatrick.

The Cadillac Championship carries a $20-million prize pool, with every participant assured a share thanks to its no-cut, limited-field format. McIlroy not too long ago claimed the Green Jacket at Augusta National, defeating Cameron Young and holding off Scottie Scheffler to turn out to be the first back-to-back champion since Tiger Woods in 2002.

Fitzpatrick is also using a strong start to the season, capped by a victory at the Zurich Classic, where the world No. 3 positioned a bunker shot on the 18th gap just inches from the pin, setting up his brother with a one-foot putt that secured two assured years on the PGA Tour.

The Truist Championship is also on the horizon, another $20 million event, before the 12 months’s second major at the PGA Championship.

World No. 9 Xander Schauffele has chosen to sit out the Miami event for the second consecutive week, yet has loved a strong start to the season with a top-10 end at the Masters and a third-place exhibiting at the Players Championship.

Ludvig Aberg is another notable absence from the sector, along with Robert MacIntyre. Brooks Koepka is also on the sidelines, though not by selection.

He is listed among the alternates for this week’s event after narrowly lacking the sector as an alternate at the RBC Heritage.

Koepka is ineligible for sponsors’ invites into the marquee signature occasions as half of his settlement to return to the tour.

Those competing in the match have the chance to climb the leaderboard and secure a bigger payout, and seem keen to participate in the 56th version of a tour event at the enduring Blue Monster.