Rory McIlroy withdraws from RBC Heritage after retaining Masters title
Rory McIlroy has withdrawn from the RBC Heritage to prioritise a mental reset following his 2025 Masters victory at Augusta National.
The Northern Irishman declined the chance to compete for a £2.6m top prize in South Carolina this weekend.
He collected £3.36m for his triumph last Sunday, successfully defending the Green Jacket to join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods in an exclusive club of back-to-back winners.
Prioritising a mental reset
The 36-year-old has decided to take time away to recuperate and celebrate rather than making an immediate return to PGA Tour action.
This marks the third occasion in four years that the former world number one has bypassed the Harbour Town Golf Links event straight after playing the opening major of the year.
Competitors are no longer fined for missing multiple signature events during a season, following a recent rule change that abolished a previous £2.2m penalty.
Augusta earnings face heavy taxation
Despite his commanding victory, the European Ryder Cup star will reportedly lose more than a third of his Augusta prize money to United States taxation.
Jon Elphick, a managing tax partner at accounting firm Band, explained the financial complexities surrounding overseas earnings.
The tax position of an international sports person largely depends on where they are resident as well as where they perform the activities generating the earnings.
Typically, a level of local tax will be paid where the event takes place, but additional tax may then be due in the country the sports person lives.
In his absence, a strong field including Scottie Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood will remain in contention for the lucrative RBC Heritage purse.
