Multiple Golfers Withdraw From the Wyndham Championship Before the Weekend

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dibyendu Mondal | Last updated Aug 2, 2025 8:48 AM ET

Although the third round of the Wyndham Championship was slated for Saturday, Friday’s bad weather forced the second round’s suspension and its rescheduling to just before moving day. By then, however, the field had already thinned considerably.

Multiple golfers decided to forego their spot at the tournament, citing different reasons before weekend play. Most notable among them is Akshay Bhatia. He is well in the playoff range, so not finishing this event will still keep his playoff spot alive.

Beside him, Isaiah Salinda, Tom Kim and Aaron Wise also withdrew before Moving Day. Erik van Rooyen cited an unfortunate back injury mid-round on Friday for his withdrawal.

Even the first round saw two golfers exit the Wyndham Championship–Nate Lashley and Kaito Onishi.

Many golfers are trying to squeeze up the ranks to secure playoff spots, the first round of which will begin next week with the FedEx St Jude Championship. But another big news emerged on Friday.

Rory McIlroy Chooses to Skip FedEx Event

Rory McIlroy will skip the opening FedEx St Jude Championship, the first playoff event of the FedEx Cup series. As world No. 2 ranked second on the PGA Tour money list, his playoff berth is guaranteed, allowing him to rest and prepare for the BMW Championship.

❌⛳️ #NEWS — Rory McIlroy elects to skip the PGA TOUR’s 1st Playoff event next week in Memphis. The FedEx St. Jude Championship will go on without the world #2. @TrackingRory pic.twitter.com/j6PzhQxeub
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) August 1, 2025

McIlroy, who also sat out three signature events this season, cited careful schedule management and a desire to avoid Memphis’s heat as deciding factors.

While some fans have criticized his absence as uncompetitive, many analysts argue the strategy makes sense under the revamped points-reset format, which favors top performers.

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

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