Rory McIlroy’s return to the FedEx Cup Playoffs has not gone as planned at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The world No. 2 entered the opening playoff event after nearly a month away from competitive golf, but his performance at TPC Southwind has left him well behind Scottie Scheffler.
McIlroy opened with a 4-over 74 before improving to a 2-under 70 in the second round. He then carded a level-par 72 in the third round, leaving him at 6-over 216 and tied for 63rd. His tournament is now effectively out of contention, while Scheffler has emerged as one of the leading players in Memphis.
The result comes after McIlroy explained why he changed his approach from last season and decided to play the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He said having four weeks off before the final two playoff events would have been “a little bit too much” and also stressed that it was important for him to “show support” for the PGA Tour.
Rory McIlroy Struggles After Returning to FedEx St. Jude Championship
GettyRory McIlroy of Northern Ireland
McIlroy’s three-round score of 216 is a significant contrast to Scheffler’s performance in Memphis. The two stars were paired early in the tournament, but their results quickly went in opposite directions.
Scheffler produced a course record-tying 61 in the second round and moved into contention for another PGA Tour victory. McIlroy, meanwhile, followed his opening 74 with a 70 and then a 72.
After three rounds, McIlroy sits at 6-over par and tied for 63rd. The leaderboard information has him 14th in the FedExCup standings, down two positions from his starting position of 12th.
The result has also fueled criticism of McIlroy’s decision to play the opening playoff event. HITC described his performance as “bad news for the PGA Tour,” arguing that the PGA Tour needed a strong showing from one of its biggest stars after encouraging him to compete in Memphis.
HITC also pointed to the contrast between McIlroy and Scheffler, writing that “the contrast between the two players couldn’t have been starker.”
McIlroy’s struggles are particularly notable because he had not played competitively since tying for 40th at the Open Championship in July. His long break was one of the reasons he gave for returning to Memphis.
“Having four weeks off going into the last two events of the year was probably going to be a little bit too much for me in terms of wanting to be competitive,” McIlroy said before the tournament.
He also said, “I think it’s important to be here. It’s the tour’s playoffs, and I think it’s important for all the players to be here.”
Rory McIlroy’s PGA Tour Commitment Remains Under Discussion
McIlroy’s disappointing performance comes at a time when his PGA Tour membership has also been a major talking point.
The Masters champion is on course to finish the season with 14 PGA Tour events, one short of the 15-event minimum required to maintain his dual membership. He has already discussed the situation with PGA Tour commissioner and CEO Brian Rolapp.
“I think we’ve built up a really good relationship and we’ve had a couple of conversations last week about what I can do with the tour going forward to fulfill the obligation to keep my membership,” McIlroy said.
He added, “We’ve had productive conversations, we’re figuring it out and it will all be fine.”
McIlroy’s schedule after the Tour Championship is already crowded. He plans to play the Irish Open, BMW PGA Championship, DP World India Championship, Abu Dhabi Championship, DP World Tour Championship, and Australian Open.
That schedule helps explain why adding another PGA Tour event in the fall could be difficult.
McIlroy still has the BMW Championship and Tour Championship ahead of him if he advances as expected. However, his difficult week at TPC Southwind has already taken away much of the momentum he hoped to build heading into the final stages of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
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