Why isn’t Rory McIlroy playing in the 2025 John Deere Classic?
With just weeks to go until the start of The Open, the Northern Irishman is prioritizing his fitness ahead of a return to Royal Portrush.
More than a decade has passed since Rory McIlroy won The Open for the first and, so far, only time. But the Northern Irishman has the chance to reclaim the title on home soil when the tournament returns to Royal Portrush later this month and he is taking no chances.
McIlroy is still recovering from injury and has confirmed that he will not be taking part in the John Deere Classic. Last month he made headlines with a dramatic club throw as frustration took over him at the US Open.
The PGA Tour event is held each year at TPC Deere Run in Illinois, usually bringing together the biggest names in golf. But this year’s edition will be played without a number of top players.
McIlroy’s only previous triumph at The Open came in 2014, when he finished two shots ahead of Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia at Royal Liverpool Golf Club. The 36-year-old finally completed the full set of majors with his victory at the Masters Tournament earlier this year but he has not yet pushed on.
His game has slipped following that historic win and he admitted that he needed a break to re-discover his rhythm.
McIlroy said: “It makes it easier to reset in some way, to be like, okay, I sort of need to get my stuff together here and get back to the process and sort of what I’d been doing for that seven months from October last year until April this year.”
“It was nice to sort of see the fruits of my labor come to fruition and have everything happen,” McIlroy explained. “You have to enjoy that. You have to enjoy what you’ve just accomplished. I certainly feel like I’m still doing that and I will continue to do that. At some point, you have to realize that there’s a little bit more golf left to play this season.”
He will hope that this brief mid-season hiatus will allow him to refresh and back to his best in North Ireland for The Open. This year’s tournament gets underway on July 17, giving him just two more weeks before he is thrust back into competition.
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