MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Just hours after receiving a $10 million bonus for finishing second in the 2025 FedExCup regular season standings following the Wyndham Championship, Rory McIlroy announced his withdrawal from the FedEx St. Jude Championship, drawing sharp backlash for what critics call a blatant disregard for the PGA Tour and its longtime sponsor, FedEx, which funds the very bonus pool that enriched him.
The sequence unfolded on Sunday evening after Cameron Young’s victory at Sedgefield Country Club wrapped the regular season.
McIlroy, who finished second in the FedExCup regular season race, earned $10 million of the $60 million distributed, or one-sixth. Scottie Scheffler walked away with $18 million for his first-place finish, while Sepp Straka, who finished third despite missing the cut three majors, picked up $6 million.
McIlroy stunned the golf world by confirming he would skip the playoff opener at TPC Southwind, set for August 7-10.
“I mean, I finished basically dead last there this year and only moved down one spot in the playoff standings,” McIlroy told The UK Telegraph last November.
The Northern Irishman, who completed the career grand slam by winning the Masters in April, also claimed victories at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and THE PLAYERS Championship.
His decision, permissible under the PGA Tour’s rules since he’s locked into the next events, nonetheless ignited fury among fans, analysts, and insiders who see it as a direct affront to FedEx, the Memphis-based logistics giant that has poured hundreds of millions into the Tour since 2007.
“This is the ultimate slap in the face,” said Pro Golf Weekly’s publisher, Tommy Gorman. “The Tour, via FedEx and Comcast/NBC, just wired Rory $10 million for his regular-season performance, and his thanks? Bailing on FedEx’s signature playoff event, which by the way is broadcast by Comcast/NBC.
“It hurts the tournament’s prestige, doesn’t help NBC at all, devalues the sponsor’s investment, and makes the ‘playoffs’ look like an optional sideshow.”
Social media echoed the sentiment, with one X user posting, “Rory pockets $10M from the FedEx and Comcast on Sunday night, then ghosts their event Monday. Classy. Way to bite the hand that feeds the Tour.”
Another added, “If you can skip 1/3 of the playoffs after cashing a fat check, what’s the point? It delegitimizes the whole FedExCup.”
The timing couldn’t be worse for the PGA Tour, already grappling with player fatigue, LIV Golf defections, and questions about the revamped playoff format that eliminated starting strokes at East Lake, reducing incentives for top players to compete in Memphis.
FedEx, which sponsors the $20 million purse at St. Jude and donates millions to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through the event, declined immediate comment, but sources close to the sponsor expressed disappointment.
“They fund the bonuses to reward excellence and build excitement for the playoffs,” one insider said. “Having a star like Rory opt out right after payout sends the wrong message — it hurts attendance, TV ratings, and the charitable impact.”
McIlroy’s history at TPC Southwind is uneven, with a T3 in 2023 but poorer showings in recent years, including a T68 last season. Defenders argue he’s earned the flexibility, pointing to his three FedExCup titles (2016, 2019, 2022) and the intense heat in Memphis as valid reasons to prioritize readiness for East Lake.
