Rory McIlroy got off to a disastrous opening round at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs, posting a four‑over‑par 74 that left him well behind the leaders.
It was his first competitive round since finishing tied for 40th at The Open at Royal Birkdale almost a month earlier, and the Irishman seemed to struggle with every shot as the tournament unfolded on the demanding TPC Southwind layout in Memphis. McIlroy entered the final three holes sitting at even par, a position that suggested he could finish the day on a respectable note. Instead, a string of mis‑hits on holes 16 and 17 quickly eroded his confidence. The trouble culminated on the closing par‑four, where his tee shot found the water hazard, forcing a penalty drop and a costly double bogey.
The sequence of errors pushed his total to 74, nine strokes behind the early leaders and effectively ending any hopes of a fast climb up the FedExCup points board. Jordan Spieth, who began the week outside the top 50 in the FedExCup standings, emerged as one of five Americans sharing the top spot at five‑under‑par. Spieth’s composure was evident when he explained his mindset: "I just tried to come into this week and just be as patient, non‑reactive as possible, dumb it down to try to win the golf tournament and not worry about anything else." His calm approach contrasted sharply with McIlroy’s frantic finish and helped him stay firmly in contention. Joining Spieth at the summit were Michael Thorbjornsen, Kurt Kitayama, Jake Knapp and Michael Kim, all of whom posted identical scores of five under.
The group’s performance underscored the depth of talent in the American contingent and set the stage for a tightly contested playoff series. England’s Tommy Fleetwood, paired with Spieth for much of the round, also posted a strong 66, highlighted by an exhilarating chip‑in eagle on the par‑five third hole.
Fleetwood reflected on his round, saying, "I feel good. I didn't really play very good in the practice days.
Game's not really been that great. I've been showing a lot, like some good and some really not so good. Hit it great off the tee today.
Still my iron play was iffy, but I did a good job of managing it for the most part. Still hit some really good shots, and you can never underestimate how good - I think shooting under par on this golf course is very good." His comments reveal a mixture of confidence and honesty about areas needing improvement, a balance that many players will need as the playoffs progress. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who shared the marquee group with McIlroy for the first two rounds, posted a solid 68, positioning himself comfortably near the top of the leaderboard.
Scheffler praised his iron play, noting, "I felt like I hit a lot of quality shots with my irons. I did a good job of being patient and not trying to force it too much. I feel like I was right on the edge of having a good day, kind of all day is how I would describe it.
So, I felt like patience‑wise, I did a pretty good job." His measured performance demonstrates why he remains a favorite to win the overall FedExCup. European players also featured prominently.
Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland and Sepp Straka each posted two‑under scores, keeping the continent well represented among the early leaders. Shane Lowry posted a solid one‑under round, while Matt Fitzpatrick’s day ended in frustration after a closing double bogey dropped him back to even par.
McIlroy could at least take solace in not having the worst round of the day; that dubious honor went to Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, who carded a 12‑over 82. Justin Rose also struggled, finishing three over, and fellow Englishmen Aaron Rai and Harry Hall each posted two‑over rounds. The FedEx St. Jude Championship is the first of three playoff events.
Only the top 50 players in the FedExCup points standings after this tournament will advance to the BMW Championship, and the top 30 after the BMW will qualify for the season‑ending Tour Championship. McIlroy currently sits 12th out of a 70‑player field, comfortably inside the cut‑off for the next stage.
Because the FedExCup events have no cut, he still has ample opportunity to recover his standing over the weekend. Throughout the PGA Tour season, players accumulate points based on finishes in regular events, with elevated points awarded for signature tournaments and majors. The FedExCup Playoffs amplify this system: the first two playoff events award 750 points to each winner—equivalent to a major victory—before points are reset for the final Tour Championship.
In 2025, the Tour Championship abandoned the starting‑strokes model, meaning all qualifiers begin the final event at even par, making the race to the $10 million prize (approximately £7.4 million) a pure test of performance over the last four rounds. Fans can follow live coverage of the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event, or stream the action without a contract.
The tournament runs from August 13‑16, with the BMW Championship slated for August 20‑23 and the Tour Championship concluding the playoffs on August 27‑30. As the playoffs unfold, players like Spieth, Scheffler and Fleetwood will look to capitalize on their strong starts, while McIlroy will aim to rebound from his early setback and re‑establish himself as a contender for the season‑ending title.