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 result was a stark contrast to the form he had shown in recent weeks. McIlroy began the day on even par, but a string of costly mistakes on the final three holes turned his round into a nightmare.
He dropped shots on holes 16 and 17, and then on the closing par‑four, the 18th, he sent his tee shot into the water hazard, resulting in a double bogey. The cumulative effect of those errors left him nine strokes behind the leaders, who were posted at five‑under after the first round. Among the players sharing the top spot was former major champion Jordan Spiell, who entered the tournament outside the top‑50 in the FedExCup standings but quickly vaulted into contention with a five‑under‑par 65. Spiell was joined on the leaderboard by Michael Thorbjornsen, Kurt Kitayama, Jake Knapp and Michael Kim, all of whom posted identical scores and formed a five‑man American contingent at the summit of the field.
When asked about his approach, Spiell said, "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, methodical mindset appeared to pay off, especially when contrasted with the turbulence experienced by some of his rivals. England’s Tommy Fleetwood, paired with Spiell for much of the round, was also in striking distance after a brilliant 66 that featured a spectacular chip‑in for eagle on the par‑five third hole. Fleetwood reflected on his performance, noting, "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." World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who shared the marquee group with McIlroy for the first two rounds, posted a solid 68 and placed himself near the top of the leaderboard.
Scheffler explained his round, saying, "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." European players were also represented near the top.
Ludvig Åberg, Viktor Hovland and Sepp Straka each carded two‑under scores, joining Scheffler in the upper tier of the standings. Shane Lowry posted a respectable one‑under round, while Matt Fitzpatrick was left frustrated after a closing double bogey that dropped him back to even par.
McIlroy could at least take some solace in the fact that his 74 was not the worst round of the day. Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre recorded a 12‑over 82, the highest score on the course. Justin Rose also struggled, finishing three over par, and fellow Englishmen Aaron Rai and Harry Hall each posted two‑over rounds.
The FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis marks the first of three playoff events. Only the top 50 players in the FedExCup points list after the final round will advance to the BMW Championship, and the top 30 after that will qualify for the season‑ending Tour Championship.
McIlroy’s current position—12th out of a 70‑player field—means he comfortably secures a spot in the next event, and because there is no cut in these playoff tournaments, he has ample opportunity to climb the leaderboard over the weekend. Throughout the PGA Tour season, players accumulate points based on their finishes in regular events, with additional points awarded for signature tournaments and majors.
The FedExCup Playoffs amplify the stakes: the first two playoff events award 750 points to each winner, matching the value of a major victory. After the BMW Championship, points are reset for the Tour Championship, where all qualifiers start at even par under the new format that eliminated the starting‑strokes model in 2025.
The ultimate prize at the Tour Championship is the FedExCup title, which carries a $10 million payout (approximately £7.4 million) and a five‑year exemption on the PGA Tour. Live coverage of the FedEx St. Jude Championship continues on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event, with streaming options available without a contract. For fans looking to play the courses featured on the Tour, over 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland are available for booking online.
The site offers a search function by course name, city or postal code, though users may need to try alternative queries if no results appear. In summary, while McIlroy’s opening round was a setback, the structure of the playoffs gives him ample room to recover. Spiell’s patient, steady play has placed him at the forefront, and several other contenders—both American and European—are poised to make moves as the tournament progresses.
The next few days will determine who can capitalize on the points available and who will fall short in the race for the 2026 FedExCup championship.