The Cognizant Classic will have a little less star power next week in West Palm Beach.
After playing in the last two events on the PGA Tour’s West Coast swing, No. 2-ranked Rory McIlroy will skip the first of the Florida events and head directly to Augusta National Golf Club to prepare his title defense in April.
Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis reported Wednesday that McIlroy will play alongside his dad, Gerry McIlroy, and Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley.
It’ll be his second trip to Augusta since completing the career Grand Slam there last year.
“He was able to walk up to the Champions Locker and see his name inside, and that experience made him very excited to defend his championship” Lewis said.
The Masters begins April 9.
Tee times, groupings and how to watch the first round of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club.
McIlroy won the 2025 tournament in a playoff over Justin Rose, snapping an 11-year major championship drought. It was one of three PGA Tour events McIlroy won last year (2025 Players Championship and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am were the others).
The full field for the Cognizant Classic will be revealed later this week.
Before either event, McIlroy is slated to tee off at 12:08 p.m. ET on Thursday at Riviera Country Club as the Genesis Invitational makes its return to Pacific Palisades after being played at Torrey Pines South Course last year.