Rory McIlroy has reversed his decision to skip the opening FedEx Cup Playoffs event by entering the St Jude Championship, marking his first appearance since The Open. The world number two had been criticised 12 months ago for missing the first leg, as it did not affect his rankings and offered a chance to rest ahead of the Ryder Cup.
Playoffs format and McIlroy's position
The FedEx Cup Playoffs is the PGA Tour's end-of-season series. Players accumulate points during the regular season, and the top point earners qualify for a three-event playoff sequence. The St Jude Championship features a field of 70, reduced to 50 for the BMW Championship, and then the top 30 for the Tour Championship season decider.
McIlroy enters this year's Playoffs in 12th place, with his Tour Championship spot virtually assured even without playing the first two events. At last month's Open Championship, he said he was prepared to miss the opening events and questioned the format in a pointed message to PGA Tour chiefs.
McIlroy's previous criticism
Last year, the Starting Strokes format, which gave higher-ranked players an advantage, was dropped. It had seen the leader start on 10 under par, while players 26th to 30th began on level par. McIlroy said at The Open: "I guess I'm just at a stage that I have other things that I prioritise. The PGA Tour is in a lot of flux at the minute, with a lot of their schedule and structure and everything like that."
He added: "So, I think the change where it doesn't matter where you are in the top 30 going into the Tour Championship, it's like I just need to be in the top 30 going in there to have a chance to win a FedEx Cup. So why would I care about the first two? I sort of came to that decision last year, and I'm just sort of doing the same thing."
U-turn and future changes
However, McIlroy has now entered the St Jude Championship after all. He will be joined by Scottie Scheffler, who topped the regular-season leaderboard and banked a £7.4 million bonus. This is the first time since 2021 that McIlroy has entered the first leg of the Playoffs outside the top 10 in the standings.
In changes that may please McIlroy, the PGA Tour will introduce a two-tier structure from 2028. A new-look Tour Championship will be hosted at a "rotation of prestigious courses, many of which the PGA Tour would play for the first time," said the Tour.
