Rory McIlroy’s golf return has been pushed back to May.It was believed that the Northern Irishman would play in the Cadillac Championship on April 30.McIlroy is one of four men to defend the Green JacketGettyBut the back-to-back Masters champion was not listed when the field was announced, meaning he is skipping his third event since defending the Green Jacket.President Donald Trump was expecting McIlroy to take the course at Trump National Doral for the tournament.“Congratulations to Rory McIlroy on another Great Championship, The Masters!” he wrote in a Truth Social post. “He performed tremendously under intense pressure, something which few people would be able to even think about doing. With each year, Rory is becoming more and more a LEGEND!“I look forward to watching him compete in two weeks at Doral. The quality of Professional Golfers today has become extraordinary, each and every one of them. “They should all be proud of the way they played at The Masters this weekend!”McIlroy is looking to manage his workload as he focuses on his next goal of completing a second career Grand Slam.“I think different. Different (from 2025),” McIlroy told reporters on April 13. “I said at the start of the weekend here I felt like the Grand Slam was the destination, and I realized it wasn’t.“I’m on this journey to — I don’t know, I just won my sixth major, and I feel like I’m in a really good spot with my game and my body.“I’ve waited so long to win the Masters, and all of a sudden I win two in a row. So I still want to enjoy it. “I’ve got a couple of weeks off before I go back to play competitive golf, but I don’t think I’ll go through that lull of motivation or the sort of things that I was feeling last year post winning this tournament.”McIlroy needs to win the U.S. Open and The Open Championship again to complete a second Grand SlamGettyHe has not played competitive golf since winning at AugustaGettyMcIlroy has just two potential chances to prepare for the PGA Championship on May 14.The two-time champion saw his Augusta run-up hit by injury and didn’t feel any ill effects with a blazing start through 36 holes – before another dramatic finish on Sunday.Rory McIlroy misses out on Signature Event haulThe PGA’s Tour’s Signature Events are a new innovation with limited fields.Players are only allowed to miss one per season and McIlroy was fined $3million in 2023 for going over the limit.As well as the fines, McIlroy has given up a shot at $175 million in prize money over the last three years with nine events missed.His absence will be a blow to Trump, who is a massive fan of the sport.Rory McIlroy's skipped Signature Events2023 Sentry ($15m)2023 RBC Heritage ($20m)2024 Sentry ($20m)2024 Travelers Championship ($20m)2025 Sentry ($20m)2025 RBC Heritage ($20m)2025 Memorial Tournament ($20m)2026 RBC Heritage ($20m)2026 Cadillac Championship ($20m)“I played golf with him a few weeks ago,” McIlroy said of Trump in February 2025, media session. “It was great. It was really good. It was really good.“I thought we had a good discussion. I learned that he’s not a fan of the LIV format. “I was like, but you’ve hosted their events. He’s like, yeah, but it doesn’t mean that I like it. So, I think he’s on the (PGA) Tour side.”McIlroy will now, most likely, make his return at the Truist Championship, taking place at Quail Hollow, a avenue he loves – he has won four times around the South Carolina property.The next major of the year is the PGA Championship, at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania where McIlroy shares the course record of 62. He will head there looking to become the first golfer in 24 years to win the first two majors of the year, Tiger Woods winning the Masters and the US Open to start the chase for a Grand Slam.Stay up to date with the latest from golf across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.