The FedExCup Playoffs are getting began in Memphis, however Rory McIlroy is taking the week off.
Whereas thats not one thing thats going to influence his postseason standing in any way McIlroy is getting into the playoffs firmly in second within the standings, and can qualify for the Tour Championship regardless at the least one PGA Tour participant board member isnt completely satisfied that McIlroy isnt on the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Very involved, Peter Malnati instructed Golfweek on Tuesday, including that there could also be stuff within the works to try to forestall golfers from skipping postseason occasions sooner or later.
The PGA Tour adjusted its playoff format barely this season to take away the beginning strokes format on the Tour Championship. This 12 months, the 30 golfers who make it to East Lake will all begin at even par.
That, although, was the one change and left golfers the flexibility to skip occasions of their selecting. Since McIlroy entered the postseason with 3,444 factors within the FedExCup race and solely trails top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, he has completely no must play within the first playoff occasion. He doesnt really want to play within the BMW Championship subsequent week both, if he didnt need to.
Even when he drops just a few spots within the standings, hed nonetheless enter the Tour Championship on even footing with the remainder of the sphere. If something, the format change to the Tour championship made the choice to skip the primary event that a lot simpler.
McIlroy has received thrice on Tour this season, most not too long ago on the Masters which made him simply the sixth golfer in historical past to finish the profession grand slam. Hes had eight top-10 finishes this season and missed solely a single lower whereas incomes greater than $16 million in prize cash alone. Hes going to play in a number of worldwide, non-Tour occasions later this 12 months, too.
He additionally instructed The Telegraph final fall that he’d not be competing, so the transfer shouldn’t come as a shock.
Although Malnati wasnt too thrilled, Webb Simpson, who can also be a participant director on the Tour board, doesnt have a difficulty with McIlroy skipping this week. In spite of everything, Simpson did the identical factor again in 2020.
Simpson and McIlroy are removed from alone right here. Tiger Woods, for instance, skipped the primary playoff occasion in 2007 after which received the second two tournaments to win the inaugural FedExCup. Jim Furyk additionally received the FedExCup in 2010 whereas lacking a event.
As for implementing some form of Rory rule and forcing golfers to play, Simpson doesnt suppose thats very attainable both.
McIlroys absence this week actually isnt the perfect search for the Tour because it kicks off the postseason, and its unclear if new Tour CEO Brian Rolapp will transfer to really implement some form of rule to repair that sooner or later, however the FedEx St. Jude Championship will go on as scheduled. It’ll simply have a 69-man discipline as an alternative of the total 70.
And in just a few weeks, McIlroy can have simply pretty much as good of a shot as any to say what can be his file fourth FedExCup. His absence this week will merely be a issues of the previous.
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