Rory McIlroy drew some pushback when he opted to sit out the first leg of the PGA Tour playoffs last year, taking a pass at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
The winner of back-to-back Masters is taking a different approach this year.
McIlroy spoke out on Wednesday about his decision to compete in the first playoff round this time around, where he starts as part of the featured pairing.
Rory McIlroy Explains Decision to Play This Year
When discussing his decision to play in this year’s event, McIlroy said it was a number of circumstances that led him to compete. That included his more sporadic playing schedule this year.
“A few different things went into that decision,” McIlroy said. “I think having four weeks off going into the last two events of the year was going to be a little too much for me in terms of being competitive. This is a good week. Obviously I want to play well, but it’s also a good week to just see where my game is, doing a little practice, as much as I can in the heat. I think it’s important to be here, it’s the tour’s playoffs and I think it’s important for all the players to be here. It’s important for me to be here and looking forward to it.”
McIlroy had apparently received the message from the PGA Tour last year, which was not happy with his decision to skip the FedEx St. Jude Championship as he was assured a berth through to the next round.
Peter Malnati, a player director on the PGA Tour Policy Board, said at the time that the PGA Tour didn’t want to see it become a precedent.
“Very concerned,” Malnati said. “I think there is stuff in the works [to keep it from happening again], and I’ll leave it at that.”
Rory McIlroy in the Spotlight
McIlroy will get plenty of attention at this year’s tournament, where he will start as part of the featured pairing.
As Golfweek reported, McIlroy is leading a field of some of golf’s top names.
“There are normally 70 players in this field, but Daniel Berger withdrew due to injury,” the report noted. “Still, many of the biggest stars in the sport are set to compete, including World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, who are paired together for the first two days, as well as Cameron Young, Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa and reigning FedEx Cup champion Tommy Fleetwood.”
McIlroy is aiming to extend his record number of PGA Playoff titles, having already won in 2016, 2019, and 2022. He has drawn some controversy for a lighter PGA Tour schedule this year as he spent much time preparing for the Masters by skipping tournaments and focusing on playing at Augusta, making day trips from his home in Florida to stay familiar with the course where he had won last year.
The work paid off, with McIlroy building a big lead through the first three days and holding on during the final day for his second straight Masters title.
Rory McIlroy Speaks Out on Controversial Decision Before PGA Tour Playoffs