Golf's most exclusive gatherings typically bring together past champions for an opportunity to share stories and remember moments from years past. This year, though, Scottie Scheffler's PGA Champions Dinner went ahead without the presence of world No. 2 and two-time winner Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy's Absence
Scheffler hosted the most recent Champions Dinner ahead of the 108th PGA Championship but McIlroy, who claimed the title in 2012 and 2014, was nowhere to be seen. This follows his decision to cut short his practice round earlier in the day after just three holes. The current Masters champion has been dealing with a blister on his toe in the lead-up to Thursday's first round and was among the handful of significant absentees from the dinner, which brought together 18 former PGA champions. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, who also skipped McIlroy's Masters Champions dinner at Augusta, were absent from proceedings again.
Other Attendees
Group photographs from the dinner showed there were still plenty of big names in attendance. The likes of Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, and Xander Schauffele were spotted alongside champions from previous eras, with the decorated group gathering before the season's second major tournament officially gets under way. Scheffler took on hosting duties this year after securing the Wanamaker Trophy last season when he finished five shots clear of Harris English.
Fellow pro Schauffele, who won in 2024, acknowledged that the experience of his second Champions dinner still feels fresh after that triumph. "I'm sure Scottie will do a nice job," Schauffele said when asked about Scheffler's menu. "This is only my second one I'm going to attend. Still very new to this whole Champions Dinner thing, and it's cool to kind of get to know some of the guys a little bit better."
Stories from the Past
Schauffele revealed that the more seasoned champions tend to steal the show during the evening, owing to the tales they bring from bygone eras of the sport. One story in particular which left a lasting impression on him came from 1981 and 1987 winner Larry Nelson. "Larry Nelson speaking about using different clubs every day of like a major championship, and different caddies and just putting it all together," Schauffele added. "Of course Larry's a great storyteller."
McIlroy's Preparation
This year's PGA Championship will take place at Aronimink in Pennsylvania. McIlroy comes into the tournament fresh off adding to his career Grand Slam with a further Masters triumph in 2026 and is among the pre-tournament betting favourites to clinch the title. McIlroy's toe problem itself does not appear to be serious enough to jeopardise his involvement in the tournament. The niggle came to light after the Northern Irishman was spotted limping during the Truist Championship.
McIlroy's omission was no snub towards the world's highest-ranked golfers, as he heaped praise on Scheffler while speaking to the press ahead of the tournament getting underway. "It's his relentlessness. The comfort in which he does the same things over and over," he said of the world No. 1. "It's that relentless pursuit of the process and not just letting the outcome happen. I think his faith has a big part to do with how comfortable he is with doing that because he accepts whatever happens," he continued. "Whatever comes his way, he moves on."
