Rory McIlroy picks 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions as the one 'elevated' event PGA Tour golfers can skip

Modified Dec 31, 2022 12:00 GMT

World No. 1 Rory McIlroy is repeating his game strategy this year by skipping the first event of the new season.

He started his 2022 calendar year by participating in the Genesis Invitational in mid-February, missing the first game. In 2023, he will do the same thing by skipping the first event of the season.

Rory McIlroy qualified for the Sentry Tournament of Champions by winning the 2022 RBC Canadian Open, but he chose not to compete.

But it's all for the best because PGA Tour players can skip one of the 13 elevated events, and Rory McIlroy believes it's better to skip the January event.

As a result, only 39 golfers will compete in the tournament, which is set to begin on January 4. The Sentry Tournament of Champions is a charitable event that raises funds for worthy causes. They have raised approximately $3.1 million since 2018 and will continue to play for the best.

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Top-ranked golfers from around the world compete in the championship to raise funds. The players were chosen based on their FedEx Cup standings and the winner of the 2022 PGA Tour event.

2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions field besides Rory McIlroy

The 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions will feature the best golfers, who have been remarkably amazing on the course this year.

Fans will see Scottie Scheffler, the 2022 Masters champion, rising star Tom Kim, Seamus Power, the 2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship winner, Viktor Hovland, and this year's US Open champion, Matt Fitzpatrick.

The Match winners, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, will also compete at the tournament alongside Fortinet Championship winner Max Homa and RSM Classic winner Adam Svensson.

It is important to note that the field included 17 of the current top 20 golfers worldwide. It's the first "elevated event" on the PGA Tour 2023 schedule and will feature a purse of $15 million.

Besides Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry is also eligible to play in the tournament but is not competing.

2022 winner Cameron Smith will also not return to defend his trophy as he has joined the LIV Golf Series and was suspended from playing on the PGA Tour. However, Jon Rahm, who finished second in the 2022 Sentry Tournament, will compete in 2023

Here is the list of all 39 players playing at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions.

1. Hideki Matsuyama
2. Luke List
3. Tom Hoge
4. Scottie Scheffler
5. Sepp Straka
6. Ryan Brehm
7. Sam Burns
8. Chad Ramey
9. JJ Spaun
10. Jordan Spieth
11. Xander Schauffele
12. Patrick Cantlay
13. Jon Rahm
14. Max Homa
15. K.H. Lee
16. Justin Thomas
17. Billy Horschel
18. Matt Fitzpatrick
19. J.T. Poston
20. Trey Mullinax
21.. Chez Reavie
22. Tony Finau
23. Mackenzie Hughes
24. Joohyung 'Tom' Kim
25. Will Zalatoris
26. Keegan Bradley
27. Seamus Power
28. Russell Henley
29. Adam Svensson
30. Scott Stallings
31. Cameron Young
32. Collin Morikawa
33. Corey Conners
34. Brian Harman
35. Sahith Theegala
36. Adam Scott
37. Aaron Wise
38. Sunjae Im
39.Viktor Hovland

Edited by Yasho Amonkar