Rory McIlroy's Absence at the FedEx St. Jude Championship: The Reason
Rory McIlroy, the renowned golfing legend, made history in 2025 by winning The Masters and completing the Career Grand Slam. As the season progresses, McIlroy has announced his schedule for the remaining tournaments, including the changes in the Tour Championship.
McIlroy has opted not to participate in the FedEx St. Jude Championship, but he has added the Texas Children's Houston Open to his schedule for 2025. Following the Amgen Irish Open, McIlroy is listed to play the DP World Tour's flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship.
The Tour Championship, the season-ending event, has undergone a significant format change in the last few months. The new format eliminates the previous strokes-based starting system and reverts to a traditional 72-hole stroke-play event. All 30 players who qualify for the tournament will start at even par, with no strokes gained or handicaps based on FedEx Cup standings.
This change means the FedEx Cup title goes directly to the player who has the best 72-hole performance in the Tour Championship itself, ensuring clarity on who is the true season-long winner. The $100 million FedEx Cup bonus pool has been restructured, with prize money more evenly distributed throughout the season rather than concentrated in a single large payout at the Tour Championship.
McIlroy has qualified for the FedEx Cup Playoffs and is currently in second place in the standings, 850 points behind Sepp Straka in third place. The final position in the FedEx Cup standings becomes irrelevant after the BMW Championship.
After the BMW PGA Championship, McIlroy will be in New York for the Ryder Cup two weeks later. The penultimate event on the DP World Tour circuit, the DP World Tour Championship, is the week after the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, where McIlroy is scheduled to play on November 6-9th. McIlroy will also play the DP World India Championship on October 16-19th.
In an interview with The Telegraph in November 2024, McIlroy mentioned that he would be reducing his playing schedule in 2025. However, his commitment to the remaining tournaments and the changes in the Tour Championship indicate that he remains a formidable contender for the FedEx Cup title.
Lastly, McIlroy has confirmed his participation in the Australian Open in December, both in 2025 and 2026. His performances in the upcoming tournaments will be closely watched as he aims to add more accolades to his impressive career.
[1] Golf Digest. (2025). Tour Championship Format Changes for 2025. Retrieved from https://www.golfdigest.com/story/tour-championship-format-changes-2025
[2] ESPN. (2025). FedEx Cup Playoffs: Changes to Tour Championship Format. Retrieved from https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/34266634/fedex-cup-playoffs-changes-tour-championship-format
[3] Golfweek. (2025). Tour Championship Format Change: What You Need to Know. Retrieved from https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2025/08/24/tour-championship-format-change-what-you-need-to-know/
[4] CBS Sports. (2025). Tour Championship Format Change: What It Means for the FedEx Cup. Retrieved from https://www.cbssports.com/golf/news/tour-championship-format-change-what-it-means-for-the-fedex-cup/
McIlroy plans to participate in a variety of sports, as he has added the Texas Children's Houston Open, scheduled for an unspecified date in 2025, to his golf schedule. Additionally, he is also scheduled to play tennis at the Ryder Cup, taking place in New York two weeks after the BMW PGA Championship.
