Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele Don't Feel Sorry For Rory McIlroy Skipping RBC Heritage And Losing $3 Million Bonus

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Rory McIlroy isn't in the field in this week's RBC Heritage, but he's still making plenty of headlines given that his decision not to tee it up is likely going to cost him a huge chunk of his PIP bonus. Fellow PGA Tour players Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas think it's a head-scratching situation, just like the rest of the golf world.

Given his decision not to play in the RBC Heritage, McIlroy has now missed two designated events already this season. Tour players who qualify for the designated events are only allowed to miss one of them, a rule in which all signs point to McIlroy having a hand in coming up with.

“Rules are the rules,” Schauffele said after his first round at the RBC Heritage. “So, I mean, for the most part, a lot of what he wanted is what's happening. And the irony is that he's not here.”

The PGA Tour announced its Player Impact Program (PIP) standings – a bonus given to players who have the most engagement – in November and McIlroy was No. 2 behind Tiger Woods.

Seventy-five percent of the PIP was reportedly paid after the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the other designated event McIlroy skipped out on. The other 25% would be paid out after the final designated event on the schedule.

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Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele don't feel too bad for Rory McIlroy foregoing his PIP bonus cash. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Justin Thomas: McIlroy Losing Millions In Bonuses Is "A Consequence"

McIlroy, who will likely finish second in the PIP standings, is now ineligible to receive that final 25% of the bonus. The second-place finisher in the PIP is due $12 million, so McIlroy skipping the RBC Heritage will cost him $3 million.

McIlroy has earned over $71 million on the PGA Tour alone, and hundreds of millions in endorsement deals along the way, therefore $3 million may not seem like a major loss for the 33-year-old.

Thomas, however, doesn't exactly see it that way.

“It doesn't matter who you are, that's a ton of money,” Thomas said at the RBC Heritage. “All of us knew going into the year what the situation was and what we had to do to get extra X or Y and for him Y is a lot in this situation, finishing second (In the PIP rankings).

"So, it wasn't a surprise to him or any of us it just was kind of where he ended up in the rankings and not playing this week is I guess a consequence.”

The Tour is very clearly sending a message to the rest of the top players in the game that it’s serious about only skipping one designated event moving forward. Thomas, Schauffele, and other PGA Tour players clearly don't feel too bad for McIlroy missing out on millions.

Follow Mark Harris on Twitter @ItIsMarkHarris

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and all other happenings in the world of golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.