The PGA Tour’s postseason gets underway at the FedEx St. Jude Championship with a notable absentee.
The Tour released the commitment list last Friday for the for $20m tournament in Memphis and Rory McIlroy’s name was not included.
McIlroy’s decision came as a shock to many but it should be noted the Masters champion previously stated his desire to trim down his schedule by missing this tournament.
The Northern Irishman is currently second in the overall standings to Scottie Scheffler with 3,444 points to the American’s 4,806.
He has already locked up a berth in the BMW Championship, reserved for the top 50 players in the FedEx Cup standings.
And he could even make it to the Tour Championship at East Lake even if he skips the BMW.
Why isn’t Rory McIlroy playing the FedEx St. Jude Championship?
This is the fourth occasion this year McIlroy has skipped one of the Tour’s marquee events.
McIlroy also decided to skip The Sentry in Hawaii in January, although it should be noted the 36-year-old prefers to start each campaign in the Middle East.
He skipped the signature RBC Heritage in April but again, it should be stressed that tournament was staged a week after he completed the career grand slam at The Masters.
The golfer flew home to celebrate with his parents, wife Erica Stoll and caddie Harry Diamond.
McIlroy has also stated on several occasions that he is not a fan of Harbour Town Golf Links as the course doesn’t suit his eye.
He once opined after a 10-year absence from the RBC Heritage that it didn’t take him long to remember why he decided not to play there for so long.
Elsewhere, the biggest surprise came when he decided to forego the Memorial Tournament in Ohio, hosted by Jack Nicklaus.
The Golden Bear admitted he was perplexed with McIlroy’s choice and was not even given a heads-up by the man himself he wouldn’t be playing.
The simple truth is that, in the grand scheme of things, McIlroy doesn’t need to play this week.
He is 859 points clear of Sepp Straka ahead of the FedEx St. Jude Championship and, with 2,000 points available to the winner and 980 to the runner-up, he cannot drop lower than fourth despite not taking part.
How will Rory McIlroy’s decision be received?
Probably not too well at PGA Tour HQ and FedEx.
Initially, it was mandatory for PGA Tour members to appear in these exclusive tournaments.
McIlroy was extremely vocal on the topic, stressing that the cream of the PGA Tour’s crop should be playing together on a more regular basis in the fight against LIV Golf.
FedEx will likely be a tad miffed at the Tour’s inability to deliver a bona fide superstar, especially as the courier giant has pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into the North American circuit for nearly two decades.
The alternative viewpoint is that it should be accepted at this stage in his career that McIlroy has earned the right to play when and where he wants.
He is not getting any younger and is in his 19th year as a touring professional.
When is Rory McIlroy playing next?
There are no guarantees McIlroy will play the BMW Championship as the field has not been confirmed.
If he does play, it will represent the first time he has teed it up since finishing in a share of seventh place at The Open.
McIlroy struggled to find his A game in the major championships since slipping on his green jacket at The Masters.
He was abysmal off the tee at the PGA Championship and struggled to get anything going at the US Open despite making his seventh cut in a row in a major that he has traditionally struggled in.
His homecoming at Royal Portrush was electric, with the golfer’s third-round 66 a standout moment.
If McIlroy skips the BMW Championship then we’ll see him at the Tour Championship.
After that, McIlroy is scheduled to take part in the Irish Open and BMW PGA Championship before leading Europe at the Ryder Cup in September.