Rory McIlroy finished in a tie for seventh place at the PGA Championship after going into the final round hopeful of claiming his second major win of 2026
Masters champion Rory McIlroy won’t be in action this weekend following his PGA Championship disappointment. McIlroy went into the final round at Aronimink Golf Club just three strokes off the lead but was powerless to stop Aaron Rai winning his first major.
Next up for some of golf’s biggest names is the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. McIlroy won’t be involved, though, confirming his plans to skip the tournament at TPC Craig Ranch.
“I’m going to take a couple weeks off, and then Memorial will be my next one,” McIlroy said after his final round at Aronimink. The Memorial Tournament in Ohio will begin on June 4, leaving the Northern Irishman with a break of just over a fortnight before he returns to action.
The 37-year-old also skipped the Byron Nelson last year, saying at the time that he wanted to “recharge the batteries a little bit.” He has made no secret of his desire to be more selective with his schedule and is staying true to his word.
Heading into Sunday’s final round, McIlroy was one of four players tied for seventh place. That quartet sat three strokes adrift of overnight leader Alex Smalley, while five men – including Rai – were tied for second going into the final day.
It was a frustrating time for the Masters champ as he aimed to add a third PGA Championship trophy to his cabinet. He shot a one-under 69 to finish on -4 for the tournament, five strokes behind champion Rai.
Rai’s reward for his maiden major win was a top prize of US$3.69m (£2.75m). McIlroy has a decent consolation of $637,050 (a little over £475,000) but will pass on an opportunity to play for a share of $10.3m (£7.7m) at the Byron Nelson.
“It is very surreal,” Rai, 31, said after his victory. “It has been a frustrating season, so being stood here is outside of my wildest imagination.”
Scottie Scheffler, who finished in a tie for 14th at the PGA Championship, goes into the upcoming tournament as reigning champion after finishing eight strokes clear of runner-up Erik van Rooyen last year. Rai is in the field for the first time since 2023 and will be aiming to improve on the career-best 46th-place finish he achieved in 2022.
McIlroy’s return at the Memorial Tournament in June will see him back in action at an event he skipped last time around. The world No.2 tied for 15th on his last appearance at the tournament in 2024, with Scheffler chasing a third straight victory this year after winning in 2024 and 2025.
