Rory McIlroy was hot and tired when he finished the FedEx St. Jude Championship last year. He was No. 3 in the FedEx Cup. He beat only one player at the TPC Southwind and tied for 68th, finishing 26 shots behind. He dropped all the way to No. 5.

PGA Tour player director hints at ‘Rory McIlroy rule’ to fix playoffs - McIlroy has decided to skip the first round of the FedEx Cup playoffs, much to the concern of the PGA Tour officials

The landscape has changed dramatically since McIlroy claimed his last FedEx Cup title in 2022. With starting strokes now scrapped, it will surely be a more competitive post-season as the Tour championship becomes a truer head-to-head contest with a level playing field.