Jack Nicklaus says he remains “a big fan” of Rory McIlroy despite expressing surprise that the Masters champion is not competing at his Memorial Tournament in Ohio this week.
For the first time since 2017, McIlroy has opted to sit out the event Nicklaus hosts annually at Muirfield Village.
It will be the third time this year that the 36-year-old from Northern Ireland has not featured in one of the PGA Tour’s signature events after also skipping The Sentry and the RBC Heritage.
Asked at his traditional pre-tournament press conference for his reaction to McIlroy’s absence, Nicklaus said: “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. It’s just his call.
“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.”
McIlroy joined 18-time major champion Nicklaus as part of an elite group of six players who have completed a career grand slam of all four major tournaments by winning The Masters at Augusta in April.
The world number two subsequently tied for 47th place at the US PGA Championship at Quail Hollow and is set to return to competitive action at the Canadian Open on 5 June as he prepares for the season’s third major, the US Open at Oakmont in Pennsylvania, from 12-15 June.
The PGA Tour’s final signature event of the season, the Travelers Championship, will be staged in Connecticut the following week.
“I know he likes to play so many in a row. He likes to play the week before a US Open. And so that’s what he’s doing. So, you know, I really don’t have a comment on it,” added Nicklaus.
“It’s very difficult, very difficult. I mean, I’m a big Rory fan, I always have been. I’m sure that I will remain that way. I just, I was a little surprised, yes.”
