Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

'I’m in a Different Position': Rory McIlroy Defends Recent PGA Tour Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 4:23 PM ET

The BMW Championship begins Thursday at Caves Valley in Owings Mills, Maryland, where the top 50 in the FedExCup standings will play for 30 Tour Championship spots.

The opening two rounds will feature World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and World No. 2 Rory McIlroy in the same group, a marquee pairing that follows McIlroy’s return after skipping last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Addressing the media on Wednesday, McIlroy said the choice to skip St. Jude last week was about workload and priorities across a global schedule.

He noted how he's "in a different position" than some of his competitors as he plans to play nine more times this year, including the Irish Open, BMW PGA at Wentworth, the Ryder Cup and a push for a seventh Race to Dubai.

He added that an extra week off would help him perform for events he deems important and that he’d have skipped even if a stricter playoff penalty applied.

Rory McIlroy on decision not to play first playoff event:

"I'm playing nine times between now and the end of the year, so I think by the time October, November comes around, I'm going to be glad of that extra week off."
— Underdog Golf (@UnderdogGolf) August 13, 2025

Rory McIlroy’s 2025 Form and Results

McIlroy’s 2025 PGA Tour ledger includes wins at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, THE PLAYERS Championship and the Masters. He has eight top-10s on the season and sits second in the FedExCup while ranked No. 2 in the world.

Career-wise, he’s at 44 total professional wins, 29 PGA Tour victories and three FedExCup titles (2016, 2019, 2022).

His summer run has included T6 at the Travelers, T2 at the Genesis Scottish Open and a recent T7 at The Open at Royal Portrush.

Earlier, he added a T5 in Houston and T7 at the Truist Championship, with a T19 at the U.S. Open and T47 at the PGA Championship.

The St. Jude Absence and the Reaction

McIlroy was the only qualified player to skip the playoff opener at TPC Southwind, remaining No. 2 in the standings heading into the BMW.

The Tour’s midseason change to the playoff finale, removing the staggered-start strokes at East Lake in favor of a level, winner-take-all 72-hole event, reduced the incentive for top players to chase marginal points in the first two legs.

Player director Peter Malnati said he was "very concerned" about a star missing a $20 million playoff event and indicated the Tour would consider closing the gap that allowed it.

The move drew strong pushback from segments of the fan base and some pundits, with critiques centered on sponsor obligations and playoff legitimacy.

Others argued McIlroy acted within the rules and made a reasonable scheduling decision given his season and standings.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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