The PGA Tour is reaching its climax and that means the FedExCup Playoffs are here but a change to this year’s Tour Championship has made it easier for Rory McIlroy to snub the first event

Rory McIlroy will not play in the first of the three FedExCup Playoff events(Image: Getty Images)

Rory McIlroy has opted against playing in the first of the three FedExCup Playoff events next weekend in Memphis, Tennessee. It comes after his LIV Golf admission.

This year’s Masters winner is currently ranked second in the FedExCup points list behind Scottie Scheffler and will comfortably make the Tour Championship at East Lake at the end of the month. He is the first notable name to drop out of the tournament, and it’s possible he may not be the last.

It’s a massive blow for the PGA Tour for such a key star to be absent, with the three events considered the season’s climax. But a recent format change means the Ulsterman has nothing to lose, aside from earning a shot at the $20 million purse on offer. Elsewhere in golf, the winner of the Junior PGA Championship has made his feelings clear on Charlie Woods after playing with Tiger’s son.

In May, the PGA Tour announced it would scrap starting strokes for this year’s Tour Championship. Previously, the leader of the FedExCup points list would start the tournament at 10-under. Second would start at 8-under, third at 7-under, fourth at 6-under and fifth at 5-under.

The remaining 25 would be split into five groups of five based on their rank and given a reflective starting score. This year, however, every player will start at level par.

Last year, Scottie Scheffler started at 10-under and dominated the competition to win at 30-under. However, Collin Morikawa (-22) and Sahith Theegala (-21) scored better than the World No. 1 over 72 holes.

With no such scoring system in place this year, it makes no difference if McIlroy qualifies second or 30th – providing he is in the top 30 by the end of the second playoff event.

Scottie Scheffler won last year’s Tour Championship

The two playoff events, which have fields of 70 and 50 before cutting down to 30 for the Tour Championship, offer quadruple points of any regular season tournament. There are no cuts.

But for McIlroy, who is second, comfortably in the top 30, and stands to lose nothing if he drops a couple of places, he can put his feet up next weekend. Should other key players who can mathematically make the Tour Championship follow suit, it could be an issue for the PGA Tour.

Previous benefactor of the starting strokes and reigning champion, Scheffler, though, is a fan of the change.

“At the end of the day you have to perform when it matters the most. I think now with the format we have, we have a great format of a 72-hole golf tournament,” he said. “If I want to win the FedExCup, I have to play well at the last week of the season, and it’s just simple as that.”

“I didn’t love the previous format of starting strokes,” he added, “and I really like the direction where we’re going.”