With the Truist Championship up next on the PGA Tour’s schedule, the field is taking shape. Rory McIlroy will be attending this signature event and is the favorite to win the tournament. In fact, most of the top players are on the ticket for this weekend. However, there will be a few absences for the tournament, including Collin Morikawa and the world no. 1, Scottie Scheffler.
Why Scheffler Won’t Attend
For Scottie Scheffler, his absence is for preparation. The event following the Truist Championship is a major. The PGA Championship, to be exact, and currently, Scheffler is the reigning champion. He wants to defend that title next week and wants to be in optimal condition to do so. This tends to be the case with events surrounding the majors. Players who already secured their position in the majors want to be in the best condition going in. Sheffler even did this right before the Masters, on top of caring for a newborn. This has also given McIlroy a better shot at the Truist Championship. Still riding high from his victory at the 2026 Masters, McIlroy is bringing some winning energy to the signature event.
Collin Morikawa Absent From The Truist
For Collin Morikawa, his absence has not been given a reason at the time of writing. However, speculation is pinning it on more practical reasons of the medical variety. Scheffler is sitting this one out for preparation, while Morikawa has to worry about his back. Since he injured his back during the Players Championship, Morikawa has been taking an experimental approach to see how well he can play. Although he admitted that it’s not the best method during the RBC Heritage.
“It’s not really the place to be testing, middle of a tournament, or any day out here for me, especially with where I’m at,” Morikawa continued. “But when I’m at home next week, I’ll be able to see how comfortable can I really get, and hopefully we can just get back to normal in a short period of time. It’s been a grind. The two weeks of golf have felt like a full year of golf, just grinding through it, playing.”
Morikawa went on to say that he has learned a lot about himself during this experimental time. With how his body works, and his current limits, while his back is still recovering. It’s not been an easy experience, as he has stated. He finished T 62 during the Cadillac Championship, so he still has room for improvement. For the Truist Championship, Morikawa’s spot will be filled by Andrew Putnam.
The Truist Without Scheffler Or Morikawa
Although the two won’t be at the Turist this year, the event is still packed to the brim with some top players. Most of the players attending were in the top 50 for the FedEx Cup last year. Both Fitzpatrick brothers will be at the event, and Alex Fitzpatrick is still fresh off the win that earned him his Tour Card. There’s plenty to see at this year’s Truist, even if a major is overshadowing it.
Main Photo Credit: © Jeff Romance-Imagn Images
