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.

Rory McIlroy is skipping the FedEx St. Jude Championship and one PGA Tour board member is 'very concerned' & efforts being made to close the loophole

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.