Why is Rory McIlroy missing from 2023 Hero World Challenge? Possible reasons explored

Rory McIlroy is one of the high-profile names not present at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas. This is not the first time the Northern Irishman has missed the Hero World Challenge, and many fans are wondering why.

Neither the player nor his entourage have explained why he is absent from the Hero World Challenge. Rory McIlroy is ranked second in the Official World Golf Ranking, which would have given him a spot in the field, had he been available.

Rory McIlroy (Image via Getty).

McIlroy also missed the Hero World Challenge in 2022. Moreover, he is considered close to Tiger Woods, the host of the Hero World Challenge. The Northern Irishman's absence is likely related to his schedule, which has been tight.

The fall season has been quite hectic for McIlroy. After finishing fourth at the TOUR Championship on the PGA Tour, the Northern Irishman played the Irish Open and the BMW PGA Championship, both on the DP World Tour, in September.

McIlroy then played in the Ryder Cup, leading the European team to victory. After a few weeks of rest, he resumed competitive activity in the DP World Tour Championship, although he had already won the Race to Dubai.

It wasn't just the fall that was busy for McIlroy; the entire season was. McIlroy had a year of 18 tournaments on the PGA Tour and another four on the DP World Tour.

In addition, Rory McIlroy will get an early start to his 2024 season on the PGA Tour, as he has qualified for the Sentry Tournament of Champions, which will begin on January 4.

---

Rory McIlroy: "I've got a lot going on in my life right now"

Rory Mcllroy recently resigned from his position on the PGA Tour board citing a tight schedule. The Northern Irishman said that his many occupations were conflicting and "something had to give."

McIlroy said (via The Guardian):

"There's only so many hours in the day and so many days in the week and I've got a lot going on in my life right now. Between trying to be a world-class golfer and trying to be a good husband and a good father, I've got a growing investment portfolio that's taking up more of my time."

In the same interview, McIlroy said that having so many occupations was preventing him from being able to dedicate the necessary time to training. He gave the example of his putting as one of the aspects to which he must devote more hours.

McIlroy also stated that PGA Tour board meetings deal with extremely important issues and so he needs to prepare for them. The amount of time spent on these matters, therefore, is multiplied.