Rory McIlroy handed shot at £2.65m windfall after Scottie Scheffler announcement
Rory McIlroy’s prospects of pocketing £2.65million ($3.6m) have been boosted after Scottie Scheffler pulled out of the Truist Championship. The world No. 1 opted to withdraw from the PGA Tour Signature Event, which gets underway just a week before the second major of the season, the PGA Championship.
With Scheffler’s attention firmly fixed on defending the title he claimed last year, his absence will only strengthen McIlroy’s bid to secure a record-breaking fifth victory at Quail Hollow Club in North Carolina next week. The substantial prize fund on offer is something the 36-year-old has grown thoroughly familiar with over the years.
The reigning Masters champion has claimed the trophy on four occasions (2010, 2015, 2021 and 2024) when the tournament was formerly known as the Wells Fargo Championship. Even without Scheffler in the mix, the remainder of the top 10 in the Official World Golf Rankings are expected to feature, with the exception of world No. 8 Russell Henley.
The tournament marks McIlroy’s first competitive outing since he secured back-to-back Masters titles last month, becoming only the fourth player in history to achieve the feat alongside Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods. Despite Donald Trump declaring he’s “looking forward” to watching McIlroy compete at the Cadillac Championship, the Northern Irishman chose to sit out the event in favour of a well-earned rest from the sport.
