Rory McIlroy’s $10 Million Controversy: Why He Skipped the FedEx St. Jude Championship

Caspian Hollingsworth
Aug 8 2025
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McIlroy's Surprise Exit Shakes Up PGA Playoff Picture

Rory McIlroy just sparked the sort of buzz the golfing world hasn’t seen in a while. Imagine being handed a $10 million bonus for almost winning the FedExCup regular season—then hours later announcing you’re not even going to play in the playoff opener, the FedEx St. Jude Championship. That’s exactly what went down after the Wyndham Championship wrapped up.

If you know anything about golf, you know McIlroy isn’t only big news—he’s the sort of player who gets talked about at every corner of the clubhouse. The 2023 Masters champ and fresh member of an exclusive grand slam winners’ club had everyone’s eyes on him as August rolled in. The reason for his move? McIlroy didn’t mince words: his schedule was simply out of control. After a year packed with big highs and brutal lows (think missed cuts at majors but also wins at Pebble Beach and THE PLAYERS), he wasn’t keen to head back to TPC Southwind in Memphis.

He even brought up how lousy his last trip there was—"I finished basically dead last there this year and only moved down one spot in the playoff standings." Instead of facing a field hungry for a playoff run, he chose to sit out and focus on prepping for the DP World Tour Championship happening later this year in Dubai, where he'll gun for a seventh Race to Dubai title.

Outcry, Rule Talks, and a Shaken Field

Here’s where things get juicy. Fans didn’t exactly rush to back him up. Critics piled on, blasting McIlroy’s commitment not just to the PGA Tour, but to the whole playoff system—especially FedEx, the company cutting multi-million dollar checks to fuel the season’s bonus pool. Some asked, how does it look when one of the game’s biggest stars pulls out straight after cashing that enormous check?

If you were hoping things might calm down soon, not so fast. Word is, the PGA Tour is already huddling up to rethink the rules for the FedExCup playoffs. Preventing top players from withdrawing at the last minute is suddenly a hot topic. No rule changes have been announced yet, but you better believe they’re on the horizon. The worry is simple: fans (and sponsors) want the stars on the course—not checking their calendars and bowing out after payouts.

Without McIlroy, the 69-player field in Memphis suddenly looks a lot different. Cameron Young, coming off his own win at Wyndham, slides in as the regular season’s top dog, but people are still going to talk about the missing star. This isn’t just about a single event—it’s a flashpoint for bigger questions about money, responsibility, and what fans can expect from their heroes.

Rory McIlroy withdrew just after securing a $10 million bonus from the FedExCup regular season standings.
He blamed the decision on a packed schedule and poor history at TPC Southwind.
Critics say his withdrawal calls the playoff system and player commitment into question.
The PGA Tour is already mulling rule changes to address high-profile withdrawals.

Everybody’s waiting to see what McIlroy does next in Dubai—and what rule tweaks might pop up before next golf season rolls around. But one thing’s for sure: skipping a playoff right after cashing in is a move no one is going to forget soon.

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