Golf fans last saw Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland on a tournament course at the Masters. He completed his historic Masters win on the 13th of this month, becoming the first player in 24 years to claim the Green Jacket back-to-back, but has not competed in any tournaments since.
As fans' wait grows longer, remarks McIlroy made last year are drawing renewed attention. Having completed the career Grand Slam — winning all four majors — with his first Masters title last year, he said in a year-end interview that "tour life can feel like a hamster on a wheel." He explained that he would reduce the number of tournaments he enters in 2026 to break free from the repetitive cycle of competing, traveling and competing again. He said he would execute a plan to focus more on the majors and extend his career.
McIlroy has already begun taking on a schedule outside the wheel, traveling to tournaments in Australia and India last year. This year, he has been resting and enjoying leisurely days since the Masters.
On the 28th (local time), he attended the White House state dinner for King Charles III of Britain. U.S. President Donald Trump paused his prepared remarks to single out McIlroy, asking him to stand, and congratulated him on his back-to-back Masters title, saying he had "shown the courage not to yield."
McIlroy, however, will not compete in the Cadillac Championship, a PGA Tour signature event that opens on the 30th at a Trump-owned golf course in Florida. He will take another week off and resume his tour schedule on May 7 at the Truist Championship, another signature event that opens at Quail Hollow Club in North Carolina. McIlroy has won four times at Quail Hollow.
At the PGA Championship that follows (May 14-17), McIlroy will chase his seventh major title. He has already won the PGA Championship twice.
That is as far as his known schedule goes. It has not yet been determined which PGA Tour or DP World Tour events McIlroy will enter after the PGA Championship.
