Jack Nicklaus Makes His Thoughts on Rory McIlroy Very Clear

Fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Rory McIlroy at the Memorial Tournament this weekend will be disappointed after the five-time major champion decided to skip Jack Nicklaus' tournament.

After a disappointing finish at the PGA Championship, McIlroy decided not to play in the Charles Schwab Challenge and will miss a second-straight tournament this weekend before a potential appearance at the RBC Canadian Open a week before the U.S. Open.

Memorial tournament host and 18-time major winner, Nicklaus revealed he didn't receive a phone call from McIlroy explaining his decision to skip the event - and the legendary golfer made it clear he didn't need to hear from the newest grand slam winner.

“It surprised me,” Nicklaus admitted. “But guys have got schedules and got things they do. I haven’t talked to him for him to tell me why or why not. It’s just his call. I made a lot of calls that I had to make when I played to play or not play, and sometimes it wasn’t as popular as people thought it was. But sometimes you have to make those calls."

Despite McIlroy's decision to skip the Memorial, Nicklaus said he's still a "big" fan of the talented golfer.

He continued, “I don’t hold anything against Rory for that. He did what he likes to play. I know he likes to play so many in a row. He likes to play the week before a U.S. Open. And so that’s what he’s doing. I really don’t have a comment on it. It’s very difficult. I’m a big Rory fan, I always have been. I’m sure that I will remain that way.” 

While McIlroy won't be there, most of the major names in golf like Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth will be competing.

Related: Amanda Balionis Breaks Silence on Rory McIlroy Slight

source https://www.mensjournal.com/sports/jack-nicklaus-makes-his-thoughts-on-rory-mcilroy-very-clear