On Sunday, August 2, Michael Thorbjornsen celebrated his 2026 Rocket Classic win in traditional style: he informed the officials that evening that he would not be playing in the 34th and final event of this season, the Wyndham Championship. He has not given the reason for his absence. Justin Lower will replace him at Sedgefield Country Club. In doing so, Thorbjornsen has joined a list of PGA Tour players to have recently followed this unsaid tradition of skipping events after major wins.
However, in most of these cases, the reason behind the withdrawal is the same: recovery. A big win, particularly a major title, brings an emotional and physical toll few can shake off in a matter of days. Several players have been candid about needing the time to rest and reset before their next start. Others have not explained.
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Either way, it’s become a common, unwanted practice that the PGA Tour plans to address after it implements its new schedule. Here are a few other champs who recently withdrew right after a major win.
1. Ryan Fox
The Kiwi won The Open, his first major, last month and shortly after withdrew from next week’s 3M Open. Reports cited the physical and emotional weight of claiming a first major as the reason he opted to skip Minnesota rather than make the quick turnaround. The three-time PGA Tour winner had committed to the field before his win.
2. Wyndham Clark
After winning the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, his fourth tour title and first since 2024, the American withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge the next week. The five-time PGA Tour winner gave no official reason for the withdrawal, despite having a spot waiting for him at Colonial.
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3. Aaron Rai
The two-time PGA Tour winner became the first English golfer in over a century to win the PGA Championship, closing with six birdies over his last ten holes at Aronimink. He withdrew from the CJ Cup in Nelson the very next week due to mental and physical fatigue, joining several players who pulled out of the same field.
4. J.T. Poston
The four-time PGA Tour winner beat Ryan Gerard in a playoff to win the Memorial Tournament and a $4 million payday, then withdrew from the RBC Canadian Open. Poston had already qualified for the U.S. Open and the Open Championship through the win and cited rest as preparation for Shinnecock Hills as the reason for skipping Toronto.
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5. Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy remains the clearest example of this pattern repeating itself over time. After winning back-to-back Masters titles in 2025 and 2026, McIlroy withdrew from the RBC Heritage as he doesn’t enjoy playing it. This is not a new habit for him. He has been open about cherry-picking his events apart from majors. Despite Heritage’s stature, McIlroy has played Harbour Town only twice in his entire career.
Winning big on the PGA Tour now appears to come with an unofficial clause attached. Once the champions bank the trophy, they then take the following week off to recover before the next chapter begins.
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