The most exciting stretch of the golf season has come and gone, with The Open Championship wrapping up in style and Scottie Scheffler making history. The thrill has quieted down, the crowds won’t be as wild, and the fairways might breathe a little easier, but the PGA Tour playoffs are still around, ready to bring their own kind of drama. However, some golf insiders are quietly starting to question the value of the playoffs since big players tend to miss the events.
Golf Channel analyst Smylie Kaufman weighs in on whether the PGA Tour playoffs still hold their value. “Do you think, do you think Scottie’s going to play Memphis? ’Cause Rory’s not… Rory’s not going to play Memphis,” Smylie Kaufman asked his co-host Charlie Hulme on The Smylie Show. Rory McIlroy, coming off a T7 finish at The Open Championship that left fans feeling disappointed once again, is set to skip the FedEx St. Jude Championship, taking place from August 7 to 10 at TPC Southwind in Memphis. With Rory sitting out, attention now turns to Scottie Scheffler, and whether he’ll play or follow suit. The uncertainty has sparked fresh debate around just how much the playoffs really matter to golf’s biggest stars.
During their conversation, Charlie Hulme brought up the possibility of both Scheffler and McIlroy skipping the first playoff event in Memphis. “If Scottie and Rory don’t play Memphis…” he started, before Smylie Kaufman jumped in, “Blow it up.” Kaufman continued, “Blow up the playoffs if Scottie and Rory both don’t play Memphis. Like, you can’t have a playoff system where your two best players aren’t playing.” Hulme added, “What are we doing?” It was a casual exchange, but a clear jab at the PGA Tour. If the biggest stars aren’t showing up, the playoffs start to lose their meaning. Without top players, the fan interest fades, and so does the viewership.
Charlie Hulme followed up the discussion by raising a more reflective point about the PGA Tour’s leadership and their communication with top players. “I’m not sure if I’d be… I’d love to know what those internal discussions are like,” he said, suggesting that the real issue might lie behind the scenes. “Because if you’re the Tour, you either have to sit down with those guys and understand why. Like, is it irrelevant?” If players like Rory and Scottie are choosing to skip playoff events, it signals something is off within the system. It could be tied to the scheduling, the location, or simply how little weight these events carry for players who are already safely through to the Tour Championship at East Lake.
According to him, there is a need for better communication and alignment between the PGA Tour and its top players, especially if the goal is to keep the playoff format relevant and competitive.
Kaufman pointed out that Rory McIlroy has little incentive to play in Memphis, especially given his history at TPC Southwind. “Rory doesn’t play that golf course well in Memphis….He’s makes enough money as long he just has to make it to East Lake cause that’s all that matters is, can you win the playoff event at the end now?” Kaufman said. The point wasn’t without backing. At last year’s FedEx St. Jude Championship, McIlroy finished tied for 68th, far from contention. And with 3,444 FedEx Cup points already in the bag, he sits comfortably inside the top 10. If both players have enough FedEx points, why would they bother attending? Especially considering the packed schedule that the Tour has.
However, Kaufman pointed out that FedEx Cup points likely aren’t the reason Rory would skip Memphis. With 3,444 points, he’s already in a strong spot, and Scottie, sitting at 4,806, is even safer. “Unless he wants to chase the different payout levels… it’s like 2,000 go to the winner versus 500,” Kaufman said, hinting that money might be the only real motivator left. Both players can afford to miss an event like the FedEx St. Jude and still make it to East Lake, but if prize money comes into play, skipping could cost them in the final payout.
That’s why the structure of the playoffs itself may be the real issue. “Because as long as you make it… like Rory and Scottie could skip the BMW and still make it to the Tour Championship. And if there are no starting strokes, like why would you?” he said. Their earnings back that up. Scottie has already made over $19.2 million this season, while Rory isn’t far behind at $16.1 million. For stars at that level, missing a playoff event doesn’t hurt much, especially when the format doesn’t force them to stay in the mix.
But when it comes to Rory skipping the FedEx St. Jude Championship specifically, the reasoning goes beyond just format or finances. So what’s really behind the decision?
Poor History of McIlroy with Memphis
At the 2024 FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, Rory McIlroy delivered one of the worst performances of his career. He finished tied for 68th place, with only two players ranking below him. His game fell apart across all areas. His driving was the second-worst of his career, his approach shots were among his bottom 25 performances, and his putting was especially poor, ranking as his third-worst ever. McIlroy ended the tournament nine-over-par, a staggering 26 shots behind winner Hideki Matsuyama. As a result, he dropped to fifth in the FedEx Cup standings, falling nearly 4,000 points behind leader Scottie Scheffler.
Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time McIlroy had a rough outing at TPC Southwind in Memphis. Back in 2022, he also had a disappointing showing at the same tournament, where he missed the cut after finishing 69th in the second round. That year, too, he failed to find rhythm on the course and exited early. However, with the world no.1 Scottie Scheffler, too, Southwind has seen his share of ups and downs.
In 2022, he missed the cut, an early exit that felt out of character even then. A year later, in 2023, he showed improvement with a T31 finish, but it was in 2024 that he truly found his footing at TPC Southwind, finishing tied for 4th, the only player in that position and very much in contention until the final stretch. That near miss could motivate him to return this year and chase a long-overdue win at the event. Yet, with a commanding lead in the FedEx Cup standings gives he has the convenience to skip the event.
For players like McIlroy and Scheffler, the playoff system simply doesn’t hold much urgency, especially when the format offers little risk and even less reward for showing up early. If the PGA Tour wants to protect the value of its postseason, it may need more than just big prize money.
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