Rory McIlroy stands alone in opting out of this week’s FedEx St Jude Championship, with the PGA Tour now warning that he could risk punishment by doing so in the future
Rory McIlroy has been warned he may not be allowed to miss the FedExCup’s opening play-off round for much longer. The Masters champion is the only player from a 70-man field that has refused to take part in this week’s FedEx St Jude Championship, the first leg of the FedExCup.
In doing so, the Northern Irishman will pass up the opportunity to earn a possible £2.7million in prize money. Peter Malnati, a player director on the PGA Tour Policy Board, stated he was “very” concerned that a prominent star like three-time FedExCup winner McIlroy would choose not to participate.
Having secured three victories on the PGA Tour this season, McIlroy has already cemented second place behind Scottie Scheffler in the standings and doesn’t have any reason to play, beyond a desire to win the tournament.
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He has already guaranteed his spot in the second play-off tournament, the BMW Championship, although there is a chance of him slipping down the season-long standings.
When asked whether players might face punishment in the future for skipping play-off tournaments, Malnati responded with a thinly-veiled warning: “I think there is stuff in the works and I’ll leave it at that.”
Meanwhile, Webb Simpson, another player director on the tour board, seemed unfazed by McIlroy’s decision, saying: “I think it’s too hard of a thing to make guys have to play. We’re still a sport where you can play when you want to play.
“I knew I couldn’t fall more than one spot and I thought losing one stroke at East Lake was worth a week of rest because I was toast. I don’t know Rory’s reason but I totally get it. It’s a hard thing to fix.”
McIlroy isn’t the only top player to have opted out of such tournaments. Tiger Woods previously pulled out in 2007 and 2019, citing fatigue and an oblique strain on those occasions.
In 2007, Woods pulled out of the first FedExCup event but went on to win the final two play-off events and claim the cup.
McIlroy’s choice shouldn’t come as a surprise to tour officials, either, as he hinted at the decision nine months ago.
“I finished, basically, dead last there [last] year, and only moved down one spot in the play-off standings,” he explained in November.
While penalties may be dished out for missing tournaments in the future, former tour player policy director Jordan Spieth believes similar withdrawals will be rare.
“You might have one or two guys do that for an event but I don’t think it will become a thing because they are still huge events against the best players in the world,” Spieth commented.
“I think they’re trying to figure out how to make sure you don’t skip both of them and ideally neither of them.”