Rory McIlroy absence has PGA Tour considering FedExCup rule change
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Rory McIlroy acknowledges the crowd after finishing the final round of The 153rd Open Championship.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LOS ANGELES – Rory McIlroy’s decision to skip the first round of the FedExCup play-offs this week has the PGA Tour considering a rule change when it comes to the three-event season-ending dash to the Tour Championship.
With his spot near the top of the FedExCup points standings secure, the Northern Irishman elected to skip this week’s St Jude Championship in Memphis knowing that he has enough points to advance to the BMW Championship at Owings Mills, Maryland, next week.
The top 70 players in the points standings earn a spot in the play-offs with 20 eliminated before the BMW. The top 30 in the standings after the first two weeks of the play-offs will then advance to the Tour Championship at Atlanta to be held from Aug 21 to 24.
McIlroy is the only tour player in the top 70 of the points standings who is not at Memphis this week.
Peter Malnati, player director on the PGA Tour Policy Board, was asked about McIlroy’s absence and he expressed concern.
“I think there is stuff in the works (about a rule change) and I’ll leave it at that,” Malnati said to GolfWeek.
It is unknown if a rule change would include a fine for non-participation or an elimination from the remainder of the play-offs all together. Should any sanction be imposed, McIlroy or players in the same situation as the five-time Major champion would think twice about skipping the St Jude.
McIlroy, a three-time Tour Championship winner in 2016, 2019 and 2022, said as far back as 2024 that he would likely skip the St Jude Championship, if his place in the points standings was secure. He referenced a poor finish in the 2024 event not coming close to stopping him from moving on the next round.
Scottie Scheffler leads the FedExCup standings with 4,806 points, while McIlroy is second with 3,444. Spot No. 50 currently is held by Australian Min Woo Lee at 851 points. Spot No. 30 belongs to Daniel Berger at 1,167 points.
McIlroy has been mulling over a reduced PGA Tour schedule after also participating in events at Australia, Ireland, India and the United Arab Emirates in 2025. He also will represent Europe at the upcoming Ryder Cup at Farmingdale, New York, in September.
Meanwhile, in other news, the PGA Tour averaged 2.969 million viewers for broadcasts on CBS, an increase of 17 per cent from 2024, the network announced on Aug 5.
The average is the network’s best since 2018.
Per CBS, 14 of the 19 final-round telecasts saw a year-over-year ratings jump.
This past weekend drew in sizable numbers, as an average of 1.95 million fans tuned in to watch Cameron Young record his first PGA Tour victory at the Wyndham Championship on Aug 3.
Young strung together five consecutive early birdies and cruised to a six-stroke win at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The average fan viewership represents a 36 per cent increase from the final of the 2024 event, which was won by Aaron Rai.
The broadcast team is set to undergo change for next season after long-time commentator Ian Baker-Finch announced his retirement after 30 years. The Wyndham Championship was his final broadcast.
Last weekend’s tournament was the final one this season for CBS. The PGA now heads into the FedExCup play-offs, with NBC and its affiliates set to run the show.
The St Jude Championship tees off on Aug 7. REUTERS
