To Play or Not Play the Week Before a Major? There's No Correct Answer

One week prior to the U.S. Open, some top players will rest while others will prepare via tournament golf.

DUBLIN, Ohio — There has long been a debate as to whether or not it is best to play the week prior to a major championship. And there are all manner of theories and reasons for doing one or the other.

Tiger Woods almost always skipped the week before a major championship. Rory McIlroy prefers to play those weeks, as he will at the RBC Canadian Open, where he is the defending champion.

It is the last tournament prior to the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, which begins June 15.

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Others experiment from year to year. Sometimes it has to do with the venue. Or it could simply be a matter of scheduling.

For years, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational was played the week prior to the PGA Championship in August. Woods won that tournament a total of eight times. He played it, despite it falling many times the week prior to the PGA.

“I really like playing the week before a major," McIlroy said. “Look, there's no better way to get sharp for a golf tournament than to play a golf tournament, I think. So I really like playing the week before a major. I've done it both ways. I've won majors not doing it and won majors doing it.

“But I think in an ideal world—my favorite two weeks of the year were always Akron (the Bridgestone in August), PGA. I felt like Akron was a great tournament, but it also got you prepared for what you were going to face the next week. So I love those sorts of stretches."

The question for McIlroy will be if it’s too much. He had a tough final day at the Memorial, where he was the third-round co-leader and shot 75 to finish in a tie for seventh. Now he’s headed to a course where he won a tournament he won the last two times it was played (the Canadian Open was not played in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.)

McIlroy will be joined in Canada by defending U.S. Open champ Matt Fitzpatrick, Sam Burns, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Cam Young and Shane Lowry.

The idea of the proper mix of play and practice is always a topic heading into a major. Players debate whether to go to Augusta National early prior to the Masters. And while their pre-tournament looks at the other major venues are limited due to a tight schedule, their decisions as to whether to play a tournament or not can sometimes impact whether they go early.

While there was considerable conjecture that LIV Golf League players had not played enough leading into the Masters, having three players in the top six somewhat negated those concerns.

Since then, LIV golfers have played four events, including one before and after the PGA Championship, where Brooks Koepka was the winner and Bryson DeChambeau finished fourth.

It caused Phil Mickelson to opine via Twitter that the LIV schedule is actually conducive to good play in the majors.

“Love LIV or hate it, it’s the best way/Tour to be your best in the majors," Mickelson said. “Enough events to keep you sharp, fresh and ready, yet not be worn down from too many tournaments or obligations. 14 LIV events, 34 weeks left open to prepare for the four majors. Fact."

Love LIV or hate it, it’s the best way/Tour to be your best in the majors. Enough events to keep you sharp, fresh and ready, yet not be worn down from too many tournaments or obligations. 14 LIV events, 34 weeks left open to prepare for the 4 majors. Fact.

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) May 23, 2023

Mickelson tied with Koepka for second at the Masters but the guy who won that tournament, Jon Rahm, gave a different side.

“Well, listen, Phil is a friend of mine, but what else is he going to say?" Rahm said. “He’s obviously going to advocate for his side and that’s perfectly fine. I mean, listen, there’s many ways to prepare for a tournament. And my schedule has not changed really."

Rahm, playing at the Memorial Tournament, later expanded on his views: “I have heard those comments and, well, if he believes it to be true it’s good for him. I don’t know, it’s hard to say. There’s been so many different ways of tackling major tournament golf. Phil himself used to always play the week before. Tiger and Jack (Nicklaus) didn’t play the week before. So who says one way is better than the other?"