Rory McIlroy highlights the field for the 2024 RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Hamilton, Ontario, May 30-June 2.
However, world number one Scottie Scheffler’s name appears absent from the list as the PGA Tour heads north of the border.
Both made headlines at the PGA Championship in Kentucky for reasons unrelated to the sport.
Three days before the start of the championship in Valhalla, McIlroy shocked the fan base by filing for divorce from his wife of seven years, Erica Stoll.
After going public with their relationship in 2014, McIlroy and Stoll became engaged in December the following year and married in April 2017. The couple welcomed their daughter, Poppy Kennedy, on August 31, 2020.
Rory McIlroy is in the field for the Canadian Open days after filing for divorce from Erica Stoll
Scottie Scheffler, who was arrested in Louisville on May 17, will not be on the field from May 30 to June 2.
An inside source later told US Weekly that “Erica was feeling lonely in her marriage,” while another told People that the Northern Irishman has been “trying to find himself and get back to winning ways” after the split.
On the other hand, Scheffler made headlines on May 17 when he was arrested in Louisville and charged with second-degree assault, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and ignoring an officer’s traffic signals.
The arrest occurred early in the morning when he was trying to enter Valhalla to make it to his departure time. However, he was released hours later and received a standing ovation on the field for his second round.
“This morning I proceeded as directed by police officers,” Scheffler wrote of the arrest. ‘It was a very chaotic situation, understandably given the tragic accident that had happened earlier, and there was a huge misunderstanding about what I thought I was being asked to do.
McIlroy seeks his third Canadian Open title after winning in 2019 and 2022
It remains an unknown whether Scheffler’s absence has anything to do with his arrest.
‘I never intended to ignore any instructions. I’m hoping to put this aside and focus on golf today.”
Scheffler finished the tournament in a four-way tie for eighth place. Meanwhile, McIlroy and five others tied for 12th behind them.
Whether or not Scheffler’s absence from the Canadian Open is related to the arrest remains an open question.
As for McIlroy, he is looking to add a third Canadian Open title to his resume. He won his first in 2019 and won his second title in the north in 2022.
