Rory McIlroy Will Honor Tiger Woods at Masters After DUI Arrest
This weekend, Rory McIlroy will compete at the 2026 Masters, and Tiger Woods will not. The latter had plans to play in the tournament, but he pulled out shortly after his DUI arrest. As the defending champion, McIlroy will be the honoree at the Masters Champions dinner. He said he plans to acknowledge both Woods and Phil Mickelson, who won’t attend due to a personal health matter.
The golfer said he was taking a step back from the public eye following his DUI arrest
On March 27, Florida police arrested Woods for a DUI after he crashed his car. In the aftermath, he announced that he would step away from golf to focus on his health. He initially had plans to compete in the Masters.
“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery.”
Woods reportedly dislikes having too much attention on him and requested privacy moving forward.
“I’m committed to taking the time needed to return in a healthier, stronger, and more focused place, both personally and professionally,” Woods continued. “I appreciate your understanding and support, and ask for privacy for my family, loved ones and myself at this time.”
Rory McIlroy spoke about paying tribute to Tiger Woods at the Masters
Neither Woods nor Mickelson will compete in the Masters this year. McIlroy, last year’s champion, will be the honoree at the Masters Club dinner. He said he will make sure to acknowledge the two missing golfers.
“Unfortunately, there will be a couple of guys that won’t be in that room, which is a shame, but I want to make sure that they’re acknowledged as well,” McIlroy said, per ESPN. “They’ve been two of the greatest champions that the Masters has ever seen. But it’s going to be a really cool night. I can’t wait. I hope everyone enjoys the dinner and enjoys everything that I’ve selected.”
The tournament will begin on April 9 and conclude on April 12.
Rory McIlroy previously denied feuding with Tiger Woods
McIlroy and Woods are friends. Many wondered if their relationship fell apart in 2024 after Woods reportedly blocked McIlroy’s attempts to rejoin the PGA Tour Policy Board.
“I would say, I mean, I think friends can have disagreements or not see things — I guess not — not see eye-to-eye on things but have disagreements on things,” he said, per People.
While he said they had some professional disagreements about golf, these didn’t impact their rapport.
“I think that’s fine,” he said. “But no, I wouldn’t say — we had a really good talk last Friday for 45 minutes just about a lot of different things. No, there’s no strain there. I think we might see the future of golf a little bit differently, but I don’t think that should place any strain on a relationship or on a friendship.”
