Rory McIlroy will be in the spotlight as he aims to follow up his Masters victory with a fourth career PGA Tour playoff win.
McIlroy is getting a marquee pairing as the FedEx St. Jude Championship starts on Thursday, part of three events that will determine the PGA Tour champion this year. McIlroy has been enjoying a strong season despite some intentional absences, winning his second straight Masters title and going into the playoffs as a favorite.
Rory McIlroy Back in Top Pairing for PGA Tour Playoff Start
As Golfweek reported, McIlroy drew the top pairing for the start of the tournament.
“There are normally 70 players in this field, but Daniel Berger withdrew due to injury,” the report noted. “Still, many of the biggest stars in the sport are set to compete, including World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, who are paired together for the first two days, as well as Cameron Young, Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa and reigning FedEx Cup champion Tommy Fleetwood.”
McIlroy was paired with Scheffler at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in 2023 and 2022, when the tournament still featured three-player groups.
The pressure will be on McIlroy starting on Thursday. The PGA Tour FedExCup Playoffs start this weekend and include a three-event knockout series, with the field starting with 70 golfers and shrinking after each tournament into a winner is crowned at the Tour Championship.
McIlroy has three FedExCup titles, winning in 2016, 2019, and 2022.
Iain McMillan of SI.com predicted that McIlroy could have a difficult time against Scheffler, noting that McIlroy spent a lot of time away from the PGA Tour, especially as he was preparing for the Masters by spending extra time playing Augusta.
“Meanwhile, I have a lot of concerns about Rory McIlroy’s performance based on his lack of competitive rounds this year,” McMillan wrote. “He has played in just three non-majors since March, and I think that has had a negative effect on him. He hasn’t posted a top five finish and has posted only two top 10 finishes since winning the Masters.”
Rory McIlroy’s Decision Sparked Controversy in 2025
McIlroy returns to the FedEx St. Jude Championship field after skipping the tournament last season, a decision that drew some controversy. McIlroy ranked No. 2 in the FedExCup standings at the time, and players inside the top 50 were automatically qualified for the next round.
Peter Malnati, a player director on the PGA Tour Policy Board, said the PGA Tour didn’t want other golfers to follow McIlroy’s precedent and skip the opening leg.
“Very concerned,” Malnati said. “I think there is stuff in the works [to keep it from happening again], and I’ll leave it at that.”
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