As the FedEx Cup Playoffs begin in Memphis, the second-ranked golfer in the world, Rory McIlroy, will not be competing at the 2025 St. Jude Championship. McIlroy’s absence from the tournament was confirmed Friday when the PGA Tour announced the 69-player field.
While 70 players typically qualify for the playoffs opener, McIlroy’s high ranking allows him to advance without participating in this round. Although he stands to miss out on a significant payout—the winner at TPC Southwind will earn $3.6 million—he can easily rejoin the tour the following week at the BMW Championship, which is only an hour from Washington, D.C.
McIlroy is expected to qualify for the Tour Championship, as he typically ranks among the top 30 players after the BMW Championship. The Northern Irishman, who recently won the Masters, has been a three-time Tour Championship victor, claiming titles in 2016, 2019, and 2022.
Despite McIlroy’s track record of success at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, he has struggled at the St. Jude Championship in the past, never finishing first and coming in second-to-last in 2024. The BMW Championship venue changes annually; McIlroy’s last appearance at Caves Valley Golf Club resulted in a fourth-place finish in 2021.
His decision to skip the upcoming event aligns with a commitment he made to limit his early-season involvement and reduce his overall play schedule. In an interview with The Telegraph last November, he emphasized next week’s tournament as one he could forgo, given his performance of T68 in the previous year, which only cost him one spot in the FedEx Cup rankings.
