CONFIRMED: Rory McIlroy to headline PGA Tour's first full-field elevated event

Rory McIlroy will headline the PGA Tour's first full-field elevated event at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. 

World No.1 McIlroy, 33, will be joined by 22 of the top 25 players in the Official World Golf Ranking. 

The prize purse for the event is a whopping $20m, with $3.6m going to the eventual winner. 

McIlroy is making his first start on the PGA Tour in 2023. He got off to a winning start at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour. 

But largely it was what happened off the course with his LIV Golf League rival Patrick Reed that overshadowed the golf. 

The last time McIlroy teed it up on the PGA Tour was at the CJ Cup, which he also won. 

He is the reigning FedEx Cup champion. 

McIlroy played this event once before, making his debut in 2021 where he finished in T-13 but opted to skip last year. 

Players are allowed to skip one elevated event of which they are eligible and still be able to collect their Player Impact Program bonuses. 

McIlroy decided to skip the first designated event - the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii - but that is typically not an event he plays.

Eight players in the world's top-10 are scheduled to compete in Phoenix. 

Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm - who won in Hawaii - are also in the field. 

 

 

 

 

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The only eligible players in the top-50 who aren't playing are Will Zalatoris, Sepp Straka, Adam Scott and Mito Pereira. 

Pereira has reportedly penned a deal with LIV Golf whilst Scott previously admitted that he messed up his playing schedule. 

The WM Phoenix Open is sure to have an incredible atmosphere, given that the Super Bowl is also being played in the same state next week. 

The defending champion of this event is the aforementioned Scheffler. 

He defeated Patrick Cantlay in a playoff last February. It was the start of an epic run in which he won four times, including the 2022 Masters, and became the World No.1. 

When are the elevated events?

• Jan 5-8, Sentry Tournament of Champions
• Feb 9-12, Waste Management Phoenix Open
• Feb 16-19, The Genesis Invitational 
• Mar 2-5, Arnold Palmer Invitational
• Mar 23-26, WGC Dell Technologies Match Play
• Apr 6-9, Masters
• Apr 13-16 RBC Heritage
• May 4-7, Wells Fargo Championship 
• June 1-4, the Memorial 
• June 15-18, U.S. Open
• June 22-25, Travelers Championship 
• July 20-23, Open Championship 
• Aug. 10-13, FedEx St. Jude Championship 
• Aug. 24-27, Tour Championship  

Next page: PGA Tour schedule 2023