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12 big names missing from the Truist Championship as Masters and Open winner withdraws
Reach Daily Express | May 7, 2026 3:39 AM CST

The Truist Championship this week represents another exciting tournament on the PGA Tour. The event at Quail Hollow, located in Charlotte, North Carolina, marks the sixth signature event of the season, meaning a bigger purse and more FedExCup points are on offer.

Rory McIlroy will make his eagerly anticipated return to the course, where he has recorded four victories to date, after successfully defending his Masters title last month at Augusta National. The Northern Irishman headlines a deep 72-man field that features many of the PGA Tour's biggest names. They include Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and recent Cadillac Championship victor Cameron Young. However, a host of top golfers have also chosen to withdraw from the North Carolina event, which takes place between May 7 and 10 and offers players the chance to fine-tune their games ahead of the PGA Championship.

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The most notable absentee is world No.1 Scheffler, who has decided to skip the Truist Championship. Scheffler's narrow defeat at the Cadillac Championship in Miami last weekend was his third runner-up finish in as many tournaments. Scheffler has never taken part in the Truist Championship but famously won the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow last year. The 2025 Open Championship and two-time Masters winner is believed to be taking a well-earned rest at a hectic point in the season.

Collin Morikawa has also withdrawn. Though no official reason has been given yet, the American has faced injuries since winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, including a back issue. The seven-time PGA Tour winner has been one of the most consistent players on the Tour this season, securing five top-ten finishes in 2026.

Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka will not be involved either, having committed to the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic - an alternative event on the Tour. As part of his return program to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf, Koepka is not allowed to accept sponsor exemptions into signature events. He was a first alternate at the RBC Heritage on his FedEx Cup ranking, but ultimately no one dropped out and he didn't get into the field.

World No. 8 Russell Henley is another big name not in the field, while Shane Lowry is taking a break to sharpen up his game ahead of the PGA Championship next week. Lowry has played 12 times already this year, which is three more events than Scheffler and five more than McIlroy.

Wyndham Clark hasn't been given a sponsor's exemption for the event, though he may be nursing an injury too, having not played since the RBC Heritage. Marco Penge is another player who has not been given a sponsor's invite this week.

Twins Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard will be absent. Aaron Rai, ranked 42nd in the world, has also been unable to make it into the field this week. Rounding off the big names that will miss the Truist Championship are Haotong Li and Billy Horschel.


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