PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy has faced significant backlash this week after making a somewhat last-minute decision to withdraw from golf legend Jack Nicklaus' annual Memorial Tournament, which is currently heading into its final round on Sunday with many of the sport's top players competing.
The criticism surrounding McIlroy stems from the fact that he avoided the media for four days at the PGA Championship and then reportedly did not inform Nicklaus directly of his decision to withdraw. While Nicklaus made it clear that McIlroy doesn't owe him anything, he admitted he was surprised by the move.
Despite the controversy surrounding McIlroy's absence and lack of communication with the media, he is expected to return to action this week at the RBC Canadian Open.
It was announced on Sunday that he will be available and will speak to the media on Wednesday following the Pro-Am. This will mark his first media appearance since before the PGA Championship.
McIlroy has had a stellar year on the PGA Tour and is currently ranked No. 2 in the world, behind only Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler has also been heating up, holding a one-shot lead heading into the final 18 holes of the Memorial on Sunday as he aims for victory just weeks after winning the PGA Championship -- his second career major.
This year, McIlroy's most prominent win came at Augusta National, where he captured the Masters for the first time to complete the career Grand Slam. He's also claimed titles at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players Championship.