Tommy Fleetwood has been talking about the FedEx St. Jude Championship and Rory McIlroy’s choice to sit out this week’s event in Memphis.
While Fleetwood is teeing it up at TPC Southwind, McIlroy was the only player among the 70 qualifiers who chose not to play in the opening event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
The Northern Irishman’s decision to sit out the first of three playoff events hasn’t gone unnoticed, with some questioning what it means for the PGA Tour.
Criticism of McIlroy’s absence feels misplaced though, given how packed his playing schedule is between now and the end of the year.
PGA Tour players are independent contractors, after all. There is no requirement for them to appear at any specific event on the calendar.
Fleetwood finds himself in a very different position to McIlroy these days. He is still searching for his first win on tour after 161 appearances, and came close again at June’s Travelers Championship before falling short near the end.
Tommy Fleetwood shares thoughts on Rory McIlroy ahead of FedEx St. Jude
Fleetwood likes to stay busy, and his main goal of getting his first PGA Tour win is a big part of why he plays so frequently.
Speaking to SIRIUSXM PGA Tour Radio, the Englishman was asked for his thoughts on McIlroy’s decision to skip the event in Memphis this week.
He said: “I like being in a rhythm playing but also, everyone has a choice whether they want to play or not, right.”
“Especially someone like Rory, I think he can definitely pick the tournaments he wants to play and aim for the ones he feels like he wants to do best in and then plan his schedule around that.
“I don’t feel like I’m in that position, I like playing when I get the chance to play. We’ve got so many big events now, elevated events, majors, playoffs.
“I’m one who enjoys playing and getting into the rhythm of tour life. I feel best when I’m in that rhythm.
“Also, if you look at the summer, for me I feel like we finished at the Travelers then traveled back to Europe with two weeks off then I played the Scottish and The Open then two weeks off. I think it’s then perfect for me to play these three playoff events and that’s the PGA Tour season done.
“Everybody has their own idea of what is going to work best for them. For me, I’m just really looking forward to this week. So many weeks in the world of golf these days is such an opportunity to either change a season, do something special or add to already great careers. I’m just happy to be playing week in, week out and giving it my best shot.“
Is LIV Golf’s approach the right move for the future?
Rory McIlroy’s absence from the FedEx St. Jude Championship has sparked a fresh look at the PGA Tour’s structure, particularly around how often fans actually get to see the top names in action.
LIV Golf operates under a very different setup.
Every player on their roster is required to play every event on their schedule, and they argue that this consistency makes it easier to secure sponsorship deals.
There’s an argument to be made that the PGA Tour might benefit from adopting something closer to LIV’s model in the future.
The current format of the FedEx Cup Playoffs does not give top-ranked players much reason to appear at TPC Southwind, since everyone starts on equal footing at the Tour Championship anyway.
It remains to be seen whether McIlroy’s decision will push the PGA Tour toward any structural changes going forward.
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