What is going on in the PGA Tour? After Rory McIlroy‘s dominating win at the Masters, he has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons, and this time for skipping the Memorial Tournament. McIlroy’s been open about cutting back on his schedule, aiming for 18-20 events this year after feeling burnt out with 27 events in 2024. He’s been picky, skipping tournaments like the RBC Heritage and adding others like the Houston Open. While there’s no penalty for skipping these events, it’s still raising eyebrows. And to make matters more interesting, another star golfer is also facing scrutiny for missing the Signature events.

Speaking on the latest presser at the Memorial Tournament, Viktor Hovland, whose career earnings boast of $66 million, reflected on the importance of the field in a golf tournament, disagreeing with Scottie Scheffler‘s apparent view. Hovland believes that the field does matter, citing the difference in vibe and atmosphere when top players are involved. “It’s a great field here this week, it’s a Signature Event,” Hovland acknowledged, but emphasized that ultimately, his focus is on doing his job and playing his best. “The field matters, but at the end of the day, I’m here to just do a job and play the best I can play,” he said.

The golfer’s opinion contrasts with Scheffler’s actions, who opted to skip the Truist Championship, a Signature Event with top golfers, to play in other events with less star-studded fields, such as the Charles Schwab Challenge and the Houston Open. Well, Scheffler had a good reason to skip the Truist Championship, or so the player says. The 28-year-old remarked, “I think last year I learned a little bit about my prep work. Going from the Memorial to the US Open was definitely a challenge, playing a really difficult golf course before. Having not played Philly Cricket before, maybe that factored into my decision a little bit.”

But this year, the golfer is heading into the Memorial Tournament with two wins under his belt and all the confidence he needs to ace this one as well. Hovland, on the other hand, expressed that he prefers competing against the best players in the world, finding it more fun and challenging. “I think it’s more fun for me to compete against those guys,” he said, adding, “I want to play in the best fields, but at the end of the day, I got to focus on my own stuff.”

It’s all about finding that balance between enjoying the competition and staying focused on his own game, right? Well, it seems Jack Nicklaus isn’t completely on board with the statement, as the veteran is visibly mad at McIlroy for missing his event.

Jack Nicklaus chose Scottie Scheffler over Rory McIlroy after the golfer opted out of his event

It seems Jack Nicklaus has subtly thrown his support behind Scottie Scheffler’s approach to golf, and the timing is interesting given Rory McIlroy’s recent decision to skip the Memorial Tournament – an event Nicklaus hosts. When asked who he identifies with more, Scheffler or McIlroy, Nicklaus casually said, “Scottie, I think.” He then went on to praise Scheffler’s methodical game, focusing on hitting fairways and greens in regulation. “I think Scottie’s learned at a fairly young age that keeping the ball in play is key… He makes sure he puts it in play, then he’s got a second shot to play. I think that wins golf tournaments more often than hitting it over the top of trees and so forth,” Nicklaus said, taking a sly jab at McIlroy’s playing style in the process.

While Nicklaus appreciates Scheffler’s approach, he also mentioned that McIlroy’s ball flight has been an issue, saying, “Rory’s ball flight has always been a bit of an issue for him, but he’s still had a great career with it.” McIlroy’s ball control has been a topic of discussion, with legendary coach Butch Harmon suggesting he needs to “bring down that ball flight” by chopping off his big follow-through, particularly with his wedges. However, when McIlroy does dial in a shorter follow-through, the results are fantastic, like at the 2025 Masters, where he hit his wedges 13 times in three rounds with incredible accuracy.

Do you think this decision of McIlroy’s will strain his relationship with Nicklaus? Let us know in the comment section below!