McIlroy completed an emotional triumph in sensational style at the Irish Open before Garcia collected his first PGA Tour victory in four years at the Byron Nelson Classic in Dallas.
Both players had long since decided to skip the BMW PGA Championship, an event no longer considered the European Tour's 'flagship' tournament but still worth £3.9m in prize money.
Instead, Masters champion Danny Willett headlines a field that includes only four players from the world's top 30, Irish Open runner-up Russell Knox, defending champion Byeong Hun An and Rafael Cabrera Bello being the others.
Circumstances have not been kind to the historic tournament, one that is always superbly run and attracts huge crowds.
The course, the date, the Tour's new eligibility rules and Justin Rose's bad back have all conspired against it.
Circumstances have not been kind to the historic tournament, one that is always superbly run and attracts huge crowds.
The course, the date, the Tour's new eligibility rules and Justin Rose's bad back have all conspired against it.
