PGA Tour players could be banned from skipping playoff events after Rory McIlroy decided to miss the St. Jude Championship.
This week’s tournament at TPC Southwind opens the playoff system for the FedEx Cup, the tour’s championship trophy.
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McIlroy looks set to start his FedEx Cup campaign in the second playoff eventCredit: Getty
McIlroy was part of the 70-man field but will miss out on a $20million [£15m] total prize purse having chosen to opt out.
His decision comes after the PGA Tour dropped starting strokes and brought back a 72-hole stroke format at the Tour Championship.
In previous editions, the player with the most FedEx Cup points was allowed to start ten-under par at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
McIlroy is second in the FedEx Cup point standings and already set to feature in the 50-man field at the BMW Championship.
But he won’t be involved at the St. Jude Championship, with PGA player director Peter Malnati left unhappy with such a big no-show.
“Very concerned,” he said via Golfweek when asked about his worries over the reigning Masters champion being absent.
And in response to the introduction of a preventive measure, he said: “I think there is stuff in the works and I’ll leave it at that.”
However, his fellow director Webb Simpson said: “I don’t know Rory’s reason but I totally get it. It’s a hard to thing to fix.”
The removal of starting strokes means McIlroy is unlikely to see his hopes of winning the championship impacted by missing an event.
He is all-but guaranteed to remain in the top 30 of the FedEx Cup points and compete for the Tour Championship.
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McIlroy is the record three-time winner of the FedEx CupCredit: Getty
McIlroy, along with the rest of the 30-man field, will be set to start on level par at the final playoff event this year.
Whichever player finishes with the lowest score after four rounds will be crowned as the FedEx Cup champion.
McIlroy and his thoughts on TPC Sawgrass
TPC Sawgrass is where the PGA Tour headquarters are located.
It also hosts the The Players Championship, one of the tour’s flagship events and a tournament McIlroy has won on two occasions.
The Northern Irishman won his second title earlier in 2025, but has previously expressed his dislike for the Floridian course.
“I don’t like the course,” he said before the Dubai World Championship in 2010. “That’s one of the reasons I’m undecided whether to play it or not.”
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McIlroy may have won at Sawgrass, but he isn’t the biggest fan of the courseCredit: Getty
“It’s a Pete Dye course. It creates angles, a bit like Whistling Straits,” he added. “He designed that course as well, where the tee boxes are sort of lining you up in the wrong direction.
“Visually it’s very tough off the tee. It makes you feel uncomfortable because it looks like you’ve only got a little bit of fairway to hit but actually once you get up there, it’s a little bit wider.
“It’s just very demanding visually.”
FedEx Cup playoff schedule
August 7-10 – St. Jude Championship – Top 70 players eligible
August 14-17 – BMW Championship – Top 50 players eligible
August 21-24 – Tour Championship – Top 30 players eligible
