For weeks, the defending champion Rory McIlroy left his pre-Masters schedule open. Now, a TGL semifinal win on Tuesday night appeared to settle it, and it looks very different from 2025.
When asked at the post-match press conference about his pre-Masters plans, McIlroy kept it brief. “I think the Masters is going to be my next event,” he said, “and I’ve got a press conference on Zoom at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow to reveal the menu.”
Last year, before teeing off at Augusta, McIlroy played the Texas Children’s Houston Open and finished tied fifth at Memorial Park. This schedule worked in his favor, obviously.
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The confirmation came after a few days of being unsure whether to play before the Masters or not. After shooting 1 under to finish par at TPC Sawgrass, McIlroy had shared that his schedule ahead would depend on how his back holds up.
“I’ll see. I haven’t really made a decision either way,” McIlroy said after his round. “I’ll see how my body feels. We’ll see how I feel in practice and at home, and if I get itchy feet at home, maybe add an event at some point.”
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His back forced him to withdraw from Bay Hill and disrupted his preparation for the PLAYERS. Though his back held up across four rounds, his game did not fully click. McIlroy lost more than five strokes to the field on the greens over the week and finished at even par, tied for 46th.
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Meanwhile, his teammates had clearer plans: Keegan Bradley heads to Tampa for the Valspar before Augusta, while Adam Scott is still weighing whether to add an event.
(This is a developing story..)