Rory McIlroy debuted this year at the Zurich Classic with former Ryder Cup teammate Shane Lowry. It is needless to say that the duo was a super hit. As they went for a 4-under 68 in the field round of the championship, for the foursome format, Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer tied with them with a 9-under 63. Both the teams were tied with a 25-under in the 72-hole course, naturally leading to a playoff.

During the playoff, McIlroy managed to make a par-5 at the 18th hole, but after a wait of close to 3 hours, luck failed the Ramey-Trainer duo, and they ended up with a bogey! McIlroy grabbed his trophy with Lowry, celebrating his debut victory with beer and music. However, it is needless to say that the last month has indeed been hectic for him, and the 34 YO is all set to take a break for the moment after his glorious feat!

Rory McIlroy to skip the CJ Cup Byron Nelson

Starting from the Valero Texas Open in the first week of April, where he bagged the solo third position with an 11-under 277, followed by his deteriorating performance at the Masters where he tied for the 22nd position with a 4-over 292, and then the RBC Heritage, where once again he failed to give his best, tying for the 33rd position, with a 7-under 277, and finally the win at the Zurich Classic, McIlroy had pretty much played every week last month.

Although it is true when Shane Lowry said, “He’s getting old, but he still moves the needle a little bit. Rory brings a crowd, and people love him, and we’ve gotten a lot of love in New Orleans. We’ve had just the best week,” it is now time for the 15 ranked OWGR player to take his much-needed rest. The field list of the next event of the PGA Tour has been released recently, and McIlroy’s name is not on the list, confirming that he has decided to opt out of the CJ Cup with Bryson Nelson this year.

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Although McIlroy will not be gracing the field with his presence, the next stop of the PGA Tour, scheduled from May 2, 2024, to May 5, 2024, will have pretty strong contenders fighting for the trophy. After all, the 156-player field at the TPC Craig Ranch has always lived up to its expectations.

Top 3 players to look out for at the CJ Cup

The players will be battling for the winning trophy, with an added purse of $9.5 million at the TPC Craig Ranch this weekend. The winner alone is to take home a whopping $1.7 million. The question is, will it be the 16th OWGR playlist Will Zalatoris or the fan-favorite Jordan Spieth? Only time will tell. Nonetheless, per the assumption, here are the top 3 players to look out for at the CJ Cup with Byron Nelson.

To begin with, there is, of course, Jason Day, who is the defending champion of the CJ Cup with 23-under. He even got off to a great start, bagging top-10 finishes in his first five events of the season. However, he has failed to make it to the list in his last five events, which includes his missed cut at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. The CJ Cup will be a chance to hold on to the trophy and an opportunity for redemption!

Followed by him is Jordan Spieth, who bailed out on the championship last year. However, back in 2021, he managed to bag the ninth position, and right after the next year, he climbed up to the second position. This year marks his chance to take home the trophy with him. Ranked in the 44th position on the OWGR list, Will Zalatoris missed the cut at the Zurich Classic after his outstanding performance in the Masters, which tied him for the ninth position. Landing himself outside the Top-10 position in almost every other event this year, except for the Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he remains the fan-favorite and among the Top-3 players to look out for in the field of the CJ Cup. Apart from that, there are other significant players like Tom Kim, Stephan Jaeger, Min Woo Lee, and Byeong Hun An, who are all set to make the best out of this weekend!