Rory McIlroy and world number one Jon Rahm will skip September’s Irish Open due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Both players are based in the USA and said they were planning to stay in America for the remainder of the golfing calendar.
The Irish Open will take place at Galgorm Castle from September 24-27. McIlroy will miss his home tournament in Northern Ireland while Rahm will decline the opportunity to defend the title he won at Lahinch last year.
McIlroy, who preceded Rahm as the world’s best-ranked golfer, says he wants to spend time at home after the US Open at Winged Foot, which takes place the week before the Irish Open.
“I’m planning to stay in the States, I don’t see myself travelling internationally for a while,” said the 31-year-old ahead of the Northern Trust at TPC Boston, the first FedEx Cup play-off event. “I’m playing four of the next five weeks with that last week being a major championship.
“It might be different if there could be fans there and stuff, but it’s behind closed doors and it’s not an Irish Open like we’re used to it being the last few years with obviously big prize funds and everything.
“But not even that, just the fact that I just want to spend time at home and not travel too much the next few months.”
Rahm, 25, won the Race to Dubai last season and had been due to defend three titles this year.
“It’s rough flying public - having a mask on for 10-plus hours just doesn’t sound very good to me,” said the Spaniard. “Doesn’t sound healthy at all, so I don’t know what I’m going to be doing. Right now, I just don’t see myself going to Europe. “That’s going to be my first concern, how safe it’s going to be and how things are going to be run.”
Rahm is also the defending champion at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, which is due to take place from December 10-13.
“Dubai is so far ahead, we are going to have to see what’s going to happen. I don’t know,” Rahm added. “Right now my main thought is I don’t know if I’m going to be able to go to Spain and see my family at Christmas. That’s my bigger thing right now.
“If it comes between going to Spain and seeing my family and playing a golf tournament, I’m not playing golf, that’s all I can say.”
