Rory McIlroy to skip first playoff event, will not play in FedEx St. Jude Championship
Rory McIlroy, the No. 2-ranked golfer in the FedEx Cup standings, will not be playing in the tournament. McIlroy was not included on the PGA Tour's list of the golfers who will compete in the event, which is set for Aug. 7-10 at TPC Southwind.
McIlory's decision to skip the tournament doesn't come as a complete surprise.
"I'll probably not play the first playoff event in Memphis," McIlroy told The Telegraph in November 2024. "I mean, I finished basically dead last there this year (tied for 68th in a 70-man field) and only moved down one spot in the playoff standings.'
The PGA Tour also changed the format for the FedEx Cup playoffs this season.
The stroke advantage has also been removed for the Tour Championship. Instead of giving golfers with the most points an advantage in the Tour Championship, all golfers will start from even par. In the past, the stroke advantage had made the first two FedEx Cup events more important because they helped determine starting position at East Lake.
McIlroy is No. 2 in the FedEx Cup standings behind Scottie Scheffler. McIlroy's decision to skip the tournament means the field will be set at 69 golfers instead of 70. The top 50 golfers will advance to the next round of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Hideki Matsuyama won the FedEx St. Jude Championship in 2024.
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