Rory McIlroy loophole could be banned as PGA Tour sanction threat made
Golf star Rory McIlroy has received a warning that he may not be able to skip the FedEx Cup’s opening playoff event indefinitely.
The reigning Masters champ is currently the sole golfer out of the 70-man lineup who has chosen to sit out this weekend’s whopping $20 million showdown at TPC Southwind. PGA Tour policy board player director Peter Malnati expressed significant concern over the absence of a high-caliber player like McIlroy from the tournament.
READ: Why Rory McIlroy ‘reluctant’ to return to the USA ahead of
With three wins under his belt this season, the Northern Irishman comfortably sits in second place, trailing only behind world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, and doesn’t necessarily need to join the fray in the first of the three FedEx Cup events. McIlroy has already secured his entry into the next playoff event, the BMW Championship, but he still faces the possibility of dropping in the overall season rankings.
When asked if future penalties could be imposed on players who skip playoff events, Malnati hinted: “I think there is stuff in the works, and I’ll leave it at that.”
However, Webb Simpson, another player-director on the Tour board appeared less bothered by McIlroy’s decision: “I think it’s too hard of a thing to make guys have to play. We’re still a sport where you can play when you want to play.
“I knew I couldn’t fall more than one spot, and I thought losing one stroke at East Lake was worth a week of rest because I was toast. I don’t know Rory’s reason, but I totally get it. It’s a hard to thing to fix.”
From the PGA’s viewpoint, the organization clearly desires its top-tier and most talented players to compete as frequently as possible. However, with McIlroy’s financial security well established and his current focus primarily on prize competition at this career stage, they simply cannot compel such a recognizable figure to participate when his enthusiasm isn’t there.
McIlroy, who characterized this year’s Open as an event he’ll “never forget” despite falling short of the championship, is far from the first professional to skip such a competition. Tiger Woods made identical decisions in both 2007 and 2019, citing fatigue and an oblique muscle injury during those particular instances.
It was nearly two decades ago when Woods withdrew from the inaugural FedEx Cup event. Nevertheless, he went on to claim victory in the final two playoff tournaments and captured the first-ever cup.
McIlroy, who has recently settled into his stunning new residence in Surrey, will be hoping to mirror those remarkable achievements after bypassing the opening tournament of this year’s series. Such an outcome remains entirely possible given his track record of three FedEx Cup victories.
The Holywood native’s decision shouldn’t come as a surprise to Tour administrators, having telegraphed his withdrawal intentions nine months earlier in November 2024: “I finished, basically, dead last there [last] year, and only moved down one spot in the playoff standings.”
Penalties might be levied against players who follow McIlroy’s example moving forward. However, Jordan Spieth, a former Tour player policy director, anticipates such withdrawals will continue to be uncommon.
“You might have one or two guys do that for an event,” Spieth commented. “But I don’t think it will become a thing, because they are still huge events against the best players in the world.
“I think they’re trying to figure out how to make sure you don’t skip both of them and ideally neither of them.”
