Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler both snub £1.1m opportunity for same reason

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy have both opted to skip the 3M Open after their recent battle at the 153rd Open Championship. The PGA Tour's regular season is nearing its conclusion, with only two tournaments remaining before the FedExCup Playoffs commence.

Whilst numerous prominent players who featured at Royal Portrush have made the journey back across the Atlantic for this week's competition, Open champion Scheffler and Masters victor McIlroy, 36, have chosen to take what could prove an expensive break.

TPC Twin Cities will stage the 3M Open, where this year's victor will pocket £1.1million. Such are the substantial rewards available at the Minnesota venue that even the runner-up can anticipate earnings of £675k, whilst those finishing bottom of the leaderboard will still collect £12.7k.

Scheffler may have claimed his second major championship of the season, having also captured the PGA Championship in May, bringing his career tally to four, but his decision to withdraw from the 3M Open may stem from comments made during his pre-Open press conference.

The 29-year-old sparked mild controversy ahead of the Portrush tournament when, during a media session that began to drift towards philosophical territory, Scheffler openly acknowledged that golf was not "the be-all and end-all" and emphasised that his family took priority. Following The Open, Scheffler acknowledged that he could still find pleasure in the sport.

However, he returned to his previous remarks about how chasing fulfilment through silverware is ultimately a pointless pursuit, suggesting that stepping back after such a demanding schedule might serve him well - even if it means missing out on substantial prize money.

"Am I grateful for it? Do I enjoy it? Oh, my gosh, yes, this is a cool feeling," Scheffler said after lifting the Claret Jug. "But having success in life is not what fulfils the deepest desires of your heart. Just because you win a golf tournament doesn't make you happy - but I'm pretty excited to celebrate this one."

Whilst he's currently enjoying some well-earned rest and relaxation with his loved ones, McIlroy similarly expressed his enthusiasm for taking a breather, having fulfilled his long-held dream of completing a career Grand Slam earlier this season.

"I feel like being back in Europe for a bit was a nice reset," he said after his T7 finish in Northern Ireland. "I feel like I'm getting back to where I want to be, and we've still got a lot of golf left this year with obviously Ryder Cup being the big one in there in September.

"And just make sure I'm - I don't want to play too much leading up to that because I want to be fresh. So I'm looking forward to a few weeks off here."

McIlroy's brief break may also stem from his earlier remarks about tournament scheduling.

Speaking following the Truist Championship in May, the 36-year-old explained how he favours taking time off after competing in a major, potentially offering further explanation for why he's also decided to give the 3M a miss.

"Before, I'm all for [playing tournaments]. After, I wouldn't. I'm not a huge fan of it, but there's only so many weeks in the year," McIlroy said. "I really like playing the week before if it makes sense... but the weeks after majors are tough."

This article first appeared on Mirror US.