Rory McIlroy has announced a well-deserved break from golf following his Masters triumph earlier this month.
The Northern Irishman followed up his win in Augusta with an appearance at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans last weekend, as he and partner Shane Lowry finished tied for 12th and did not defend their title.
McIlroy also declined to play at the RBC Heritage and the Corales Puntacana Championship after the Masters.
And after his finish in New Orleans on Sunday, he told reporters of the brief ‘reset’ he needed before getting back on the course.
‘I’ve got to just take a little bit of time here,’ he said. ‘It’s nice to have a week off, and reset and try to get some practice in.’
McIlroy added that he was ‘looking forward to… sort of kicking the feet up and trying to recharge the batteries a little bit.’
Rory McIlroy was unable to defend his crown at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside Shane Lowry
McIlroy held his nerve to beat Justin Rose in a Masters play-off to finally win a green jacket
The grand slam winner’s hiatus means he will skip the CJ Cup Byron Nelson this Thursday, though he won’t be away from the sport for long.
McIlroy is expected back the following week at the Truist Championship in Philadelphia.
The now five-time Major winner added to his decorated trophy cabinet at the tournament last year when he won the competition, beating Xander Schauffele by five shots.
He has won the tournament four times.
McIlroy became the sixth grand slam winner in golf history earlier this month with his wild victory in Augusta, which saw him recover from two double bogeys in the final round and an agonizing missed putt on the 18th hole that would have won the tournament.
With Justin Rose one stroke behind at 11-under, McIlroy just needed a par on the 18th to avoid a playoff, but flubbed a putt from about five feet out to ultimately bogey the hole and send the tournament to a playoff.
Rory McIlroy was highly emotional after winning the 2025 Masters in dramatic fashion
However, he wouldn’t make the same mistake in the playoff after a beautiful approach shot set him up for birdie again, from even closer than where he missed from moments before.
‘I have dreamt about that moment for as long as I can remember,’ McIlroy said afterwards.
‘I mentioned it out in the prize ceremony, but watching Tiger here in 1997 do what he did, and then winning his first green jacket, I think that inspired so many of my generation to want to emulate what he did.
‘You know, there were points in my career where I didn’t know if I would have this nice garment over my shoulders, but I didn’t make it easy today. I certainly didn’t make it easy.’