Why Scottie Scheffler isn’t competing at Rocket Mortgage Classic after Travelers win
Scottie Scheffler explained his decision to skip the Rocket Mortgage Classic after winning the Travelers Championship last weekend
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has turned down the opportunity to bag yet another seven-figure sum at this weekend's Rocket Mortgage Classic. Hot on the heels of his victory at the Travelers Championship, Scheffler has snubbed his chance to win the $1.3million (£1m) jackpot in Detroit.
He etched his name in the history books as the first golfer since the legendary Tiger Woods in 2009 to clinch six signature PGA events within a single year. He achieved his latest victory by edging past Tom Kim in a gripping play-off and pocketed a staggering $3.6m (£2.8m) for his efforts.
Scheffler's incredible run this season, which includes triumphs at The Masters, Arnold Palmer Invitational and others, has seen him earn more in a given year than any other player in PGA history. Yet, he's rejected the opportunity to further add to his bank balance by skipping the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
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The two-time Masters champion is setting his sights on capturing The Open next month and will then don the stars and stripes at the Paris Olympics. Following his Travelers Championship win, when quizzed about the upcoming Games, Scheffler shared his schedule for the remainder of the year.
"Yeah. I'm playing The Open, the Olympics and the last three playoff events, and then I think I should be on the President's Cup team," he explained. "After that, I'll take a break."
Scheffler is clearly keen to save energy as he targets his third major title and Olympic gold. He is not the only big name to pass up the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit, with Olympic team-mates Xander Schauffele and Wyndham Clark also absent from the 156-player field.
They are joined by Rory McIlroy, who will continue his brief golf break following his US Open heartbreak before returning at The Open next month. However, McIlroy's absence from the Rocket Mortgage Classic isn't surprising as he hasn't participated in any of the events since its inception in 2019.
The Rocket Mortgage Classic tees off on Thursday, and with star players like Scheffler and McIlroy missing, it opens up opportunities for others to earn a significant payday. Among the favourites are Kim, Cameron Young and Kim Si-woo, while Rickie Fowler will also be aiming to defend his title.
