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Masters champion Rory McIlroy will not be in action this weekend following his PGA Championship disappointment. McIlroy entered the final round at Aronimink Golf Club just three strokes off the lead but was unable to stop Aaron Rai from securing his maiden major title.

Next on the calendar for some of golf's biggest names is the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. McIlroy will not be taking part, however, having confirmed his plans to skip the tournament at TPC Craig Ranch. "I'm going to take a couple weeks off, and then Memorial will be my next one," said McIlroy after his final round at Aronimink. The Memorial Tournament in Ohio begins on June 4, handing the Northern Irishman a break of just over a fortnight before he returns to action.

The 37-year-old also missed the Byron Nelson last year, saying at the time that he wanted to "recharge the batteries a little bit." He has been open about his desire to be more selective with his schedule and is staying true to that approach.

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Heading into Sunday's final round, McIlroy was one of four players tied for seventh place. That quartet sat three strokes adrift of overnight leader Alex Smalley, while five men - including Rai - were tied for second going into the final day.

It proved a frustrating final day for the Masters champion as he looked to add a third PGA Championship trophy to his collection. He carded a one-under 69 to finish on -4 for the tournament, five strokes off champion Rai.

Rai's reward for his maiden major victory was a top prize of $3.69m (£2.75m). McIlroy received a respectable consolation of $637,050 (just over £475,000) but will pass on an opportunity to play for a share of $10.3m (£7.7m) at the Byron Nelson.

"It is very surreal," Rai, 31, said after his victory. "It has been a frustrating season, so being stood here is outside of my wildest imagination."

Scottie Scheffler, who finished in a tie for 14th at the PGA Championship, heads into the upcoming tournament as defending champion after finishing eight strokes clear of runner-up Erik van Rooyen last year. Rai enters the field for the first time since 2023 and will be hoping to better the career-best 46th-place finish he managed in 2022.

McIlroy's return at the Memorial Tournament in June will see him back in action at an event he snubbed last time around. The world No.2 tied for 15th on his last appearance at the tournament in 2024, with Scheffler chasing a third straight victory this year after winning in 2024 and 2025.