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The 2023 Open Championship portrait face happy and smiling close up Scottie Scheffler Speaking during a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz The Open Championship Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake, The Wirral, Merseyside, England UK. 21st July 2023 The 2023 Open Championship, also known as the 151st Open, was held from Thursday, July 20 to Sunday, July 23, 2023, at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England. The 2023 Open Championship was a spectacular event held at the historic Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England. Known for its challenging links-style course, Royal Liverpool provided a thrilling backdrop for the world s top golfers. The tournament featured intense competition amidst the windy coastal conditions, where players navigated the undulating fairways and tricky greens with skill and precision. Copyright: xMarkxNewcombex
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The 2023 Open Championship portrait face happy and smiling close up Scottie Scheffler Speaking during a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz The Open Championship Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake, The Wirral, Merseyside, England UK. 21st July 2023 The 2023 Open Championship, also known as the 151st Open, was held from Thursday, July 20 to Sunday, July 23, 2023, at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England. The 2023 Open Championship was a spectacular event held at the historic Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England. Known for its challenging links-style course, Royal Liverpool provided a thrilling backdrop for the world s top golfers. The tournament featured intense competition amidst the windy coastal conditions, where players navigated the undulating fairways and tricky greens with skill and precision. Copyright: xMarkxNewcombex
The 2026 WM Phoenix Open will be held at TPC Scottsdale from February 2-8 with defending champion Thomas Detry and betting favorite Scottie Scheffler leading a star-studded field. The $9.6 million purse and 500 FedExCup points await at golf’s wildest venue, where elite competition meets unmatched atmosphere. The People’s Open once again delivers world-class talent ready to tackle the stadium-like 16th hole.
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While Scheffler hunts his third Phoenix title and Brooks Koepka plays his second PGA Tour event after his return, three European major champions have notably skipped the event. Their absence from the confirmed field create opportunities for others to claim one of golf’s most coveted trophies before the West Coast Swing concludes. Let’s review the names that will miss the event.
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3 Players Who Will Miss the 2026 WM Phoenix Open
Justin Rose
Justin Rose put on one of the best shows of the early 2026 PGA Tour season. He won the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines by seven shots and finished with a score of 23-under 265, breaking the tournament scoring record set by Tiger Woods and George Burns. His ability to control the wire-to-wire showed how good he was at hitting the ball and how smart he was in competition.
Rose’s win was his 13th on the PGA Tour and his second at this event. It showed that he remains a major player in strong fields, even at 45.
Although Rose is in great shape, his name is not on the official WM Phoenix Open 2026 field list. This means that one of the season’s best winners will not be playing while others compete for the $9.6 million prize.
Rory McIlroy
The five-time major champion from Northern Ireland began his 2026 campaign abroad, competing in the Dubai Invitational in early January against some of Europe’s top players. After that, he turned his attention to the season’s marquee stretch. McIlroy remained in the running deep into that week, demonstrating that he is a world-class competitor even when he’s not in the U.S.
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December 17, 2025, Jupiter, Florida, USA: Rory McIlroy arrives at the inaugural Optum Golf Channel Games at Trump National Golf Club Jupiter. Jupiter USA – ZUMAw109 20251217_fap_w109_013 Copyright: xDebbyxWongx
Even though he has been in the top 10 of the world rankings for a long time, McIlroy is not in the official 2026 WM Phoenix Open field. He has only been to TPC Scottsdale twice. He made his first appearance in 2021, tying for 13th, and returned in 2023, finishing in the 30s. This suggests that the venue hasn’t become a regular part of his early-season schedule.
McIlroy is a contender for the Masters and one of golf’s biggest international stars, so his absence from Phoenix this week leaves Scottsdale without a big European star.
Shane Lowry
Shane Lowry, who won the Open in 2019, also started his 2026 season in the Middle East at the Dubai Invitational. He was in the running until the very end. Lowry was in the lead for a short time at the end, but a costly mistake at the last hole caused him to fall down the leaderboard in a dramatic finish.
Lowry’s strong performance in Dubai showed that he was ready to compete on the DP World Tour early in the season.
Lowry’s name is also not on the official 2026 WM Phoenix Open field list, which means that another European who has won a major will miss out on Scottsdale’s lively scene while the best players on the PGA Tour try to build up early-season momentum.
Scottie Scheffler is going for his third WM Phoenix Open title, and Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour. Scottsdale will still have fireworks. But fans are left wondering which missing major champion they will miss the most during the chaos on the 16th hole, since Rose, McIlroy, and Lowry are all in great shape.