Rory McIlroy’s decision to skip the FedEx St. Jude Classic, the first leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs, leaves PGA Tour Policy Board Player Director “very interested”, potentially leading to rules changes.
World No. 2 and the Reality Masters Champion have taken advantage of loopholes in a new playoff format and decided not to play at this week’s event. Top 70 in the FedEx Cup – Rory is currently second – St. Jude is in the top 50 and then moves to the BMW Championship before the Top 30 Vie of the Tour Championship.
“I’m very worried,” Peter Marnati, the PGA Tour Policy Board player director, told reporters on Tuesday about the top players skipping the FedEx Cup playoff event. “I think there’s something in the work (to make sure it doesn’t happen again), and I’ll leave it as is.”
McIlroy can also sit at BMW and proceed to the final event in East Lake, if he chooses. This Eastlake will start in good fashion again this year after all competitors have changed from the start stroke format.
There are also priorities. Tiger Woods (twice) and Jim Furik both skipped their first playoff event and won the FedEx Cup Championship.
“One or two guys might do that for the event, but I don’t think that will be a problem as it’s a huge event for the best players in the world,” Jordanspeace, formerly director of the PGA Tour Policy Board Player, told reporters according to Golf Week. “I think they’re trying to figure out how to make sure you don’t skip both of them and ideally either.”
McIlroy has not played since finishing seventh in the Open Championship.
