Rory McIlroy Skipping Major PGA Tour Event. Here's Why
When the FedEx Cup Playoffs officially tee off from TPC Southwind for the St. Jude Championship a three-time FedEx Cup Playoffs champion won't be there. Earlier this week the field for the first playoff event was announced and Rory McIlroy's name was not included.
The five-time major champion is opting to skip the first round of the playoffs to focus his efforts on the second round (BMW Championship) which will tee off from from Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, MD.
Why Is Rory McIlroy Skipping the St. Jude Championship?
In late November McIlroy hinted that he'd skip the first round of the playoffs while revealing he planned to tone down his 2025 season, playing fewer events to give his body a break.
“I’ll probably not play the first play-off event in Memphis,” McIlroy told the Telegraph in November. “I mean, I finished basically dead last there this year and only moved down one spot in the play-off standings.”
The grand slam winner finished second-to-last of the 70 competitors at the St. Jude Championship in 2024 and has never won the event. McIlroy knows there isn't much to play for in the first round of the playoffs next weekend as he holds a nearly 900-point advantage over third-place Sepp Straka in the FedEx Cup Standings.
As such, he doesn't need to play in next weekend's event to be among the top 50 who qualify for the BMW Championship. The playoffs then wrap up with the Tour Championship, to which the top 30 in the FedEx standings will advance.
McIlroy hasn't played since a T-7 at the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland two weeks ago. He's the only three-time winner of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, surpassing Tiger Woods with his third win in 2022.
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