Rory McIlroy’s statement after winning the 2023 Ryder Cup might explain why he is skipping the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
McIlroy caused controversy by electing not to participate in the opening playoff event of the FedEx Cup, the St. Jude Championship. The PGA Tour is reportedly concerned about his decision.
McIlroy is well within the top 20 of the FedEx Cup standings. That means he is certain to qualify for the next round of the playoffs at the BMW Championship by remaining in the top 50 by the end of the St. Jude Championship.
He’s made clear his priority for the rest of the season, and it explains why he decided not to play.
Rory McIlroy said the Ryder Cup is the pinnacle of golf
After The Open Championship at Royal Portrush, McIlroy said he plans to save his body for the Ryder Cup. He said, “I don’t want to play too much leading up to that because I want to be fresh, so I’m looking forward to a few weeks off here.
“I’ll reflect on what’s already been a good year and start to get myself ready for that run up to the Ryder Cup.”
That is consistent with what the 2025 Masters champion said back in 2025, after Europe’s humiliation of the USA in Rome. During the celebrations, McIlroy stated that he believes the Ryder Cup is the most significant event in the sport.
He said to Sky Sports, “I don’t get emotional about any other event apart from this. This is truly the best event in golf bar none. Any boy or girl aspiring to play golf, this is the pinnacle.
“This is the best and I hope anyone who is a great golfer gets to experience what we are experiencing right now.”
The PGA Tour can complain all they want. McIlroy won’t care. He’s concerned about one thing, and one thing only: beating the USA on their home soil for the first time since 2012.
Rust hurt Team USA at the 2023 Ryder Cup
While keeping his body fresh in the lead up to what he considers the biggest event in golf, McIlroy may want to be cautious of sitting out too many events.
One of the reasons attributed to Europe’s statement win at the last event was that the Americans had been sitting out competitions in the lead up to the Ryder Cup.
Every single European team member teed off at the BMW Championship at Wentworth before the 2023 Ryder Cup, which is the second round of the FedEx Cup playoffs. Meanwhile, just three of the Americans played competitive golf after the season-ending Tour Championship.
Justin Thomas and Max Homa played on the PGA Tour, while Brooks Koepka played on the LIV Golf circuit a week before the competition.
Team USA are determined to right the wrongs of 2023. Captain Keegan Bradley already has difficult decisions to make, and he should be considering how frequently players are competing in the build-up to the Ryder Cup when making his selection.
McIlroy is a lock for Europe, but if he wants to be at his brilliant best, he can take some learnings from Rome.