On Sunday, August 2, Michael Thorbjornsen celebrated his 2026 Rocket Classic win in traditional style: he informed the officials that evening that he would not be playing in the 34th and final event of this season, the Wyndham Championship. He has not given the reason for his absence. Justin Lower will replace him at Sedgefield Country Club. In doing so, Thorbjornsen has joined a list of PGA Tour players to have recently followed this unsaid tradition of skipping events after their wins.
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Late tournament dropouts usually annoy fans and organizers, but Thorbjornsen’s decision gives players fighting for the playoffs a huge break. The Wyndham Championship is the last chance to finish in the top 70 and make the FedExCup postseason. Since Thorbjornsen already locked up his playoff spot with his win in Detroit, sitting out means he won’t be eating up high-ranking points or top finishes. This opens the door for players on the bubble to get the points they desperately need to squeeze into the top 70.
Thorbjornsen isn’t the only player dropping out before the final regular-season event. A chain reaction of five late withdrawals, including Michael Thorbjornsen, Patrick Cantlay, Kristoffer Reitan, Brendon Todd, and Dan Brown, has completely changed the lineup this week.
Three of these players, Thorbjornsen, Cantlay, and Reitan, had already secured their spot in the top 70 for the playoffs. Meanwhile, Brown and Todd were on the outside looking in. While none of them gave official reasons for pulling out, the result is identical: every open spot clears the way and gives the remaining players a much-needed advantage.
For the PGA Tour, Thorbjornsen’s late departure highlights a frustrating problem. His exit is not just a one-time case of fatigue after a win. Instead, it fits a pattern in which new champions pull out of their next event as soon as they win a trophy. These late changes leave tournament directors scrambling and deprive fans of seeing golf’s newest winners, but the pattern has become a regular habit on tour.
The post-win withdrawal: A growing habit on the Tour
While physical exhaustion and emotional hangover are frequently cited by players needing time to rest and reset after a taxing, career-defining week, others offer no public explanation at all. Regardless of the reasoning, the trend continues to repeat itself across the tour’s schedule. Here is a look at several other high-profile champions who recently withdrew immediately following a major title or signature win:
1. Ryan Fox
The Kiwi won The Open, his first major, last month and shortly after withdrew from next week’s 3M Open. Reports cited the physical and emotional weight of claiming a first major as the reason he opted to skip Minnesota rather than make the quick turnaround. The three-time PGA Tour winner had committed to the field before his win.
2. Wyndham Clark
After winning the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, his fourth tour title and first since 2024, the American withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge the next week. The five-time PGA Tour winner gave no official reason for the withdrawal, despite having a spot waiting for him at Colonial.
3. Aaron Rai
The two-time PGA Tour winner became the first English golfer in over a century to win the PGA Championship, closing with six birdies over his last ten holes at Aronimink. He withdrew from the CJ Cup in Nelson the very next week due to mental and physical fatigue, joining several players who pulled out of the same field.
4. J.T. Poston
The four-time PGA Tour winner beat Ryan Gerard in a playoff to win the Memorial Tournament and a $4 million payday, then withdrew from the RBC Canadian Open. Poston had already qualified for the U.S. Open and the Open Championship through the win and cited rest as preparation for Shinnecock Hills as the reason for skipping Toronto.
5. Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy remains the clearest example of this pattern repeating itself over time. After winning back-to-back Masters titles in 2025 and 2026, McIlroy withdrew from the RBC Heritage as he doesn’t enjoy playing it. This is not a new habit for him. He has been open about cherry-picking his events apart from majors. Despite Heritage’s stature, McIlroy has played Harbour Town only twice in his entire career.
Winning big on the PGA Tour now appears to come with an unofficial clause attached. Once the champions bank the trophy, they then take the following week off to recover before the next chapter begins.