Why Rory McIlroy deserves to be defended for skipping the FedEx St. Jude with his plans now very different

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Rory McIlroy has been incredibly harshly treated since he made the decision to skip the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis this week.

McIlroy pulled out of the FedEx St. Jude Championship field due to the fact that him not competing in Memphis will make no difference to his chances of winning the Tour Championship at East Lake.

This year has been a great season for McIlroy on the PGA Tour in general, and he is currently ranked in second place on the FedEx Cup points list.

However, after winning The Masters – his third victory of the year – the Northern Irishman has been stuck in reverse.

He has been involved in his fair share of controversy and his latest decision to not play at TPC Southwind has now been used as a tool to beat him with.

It has been suggested that McIlroy’s skipping the FedEx St. Jude Championship has not gone down well with the PGA Tour.

In spite of that, McIlroy actually deserves some credit.

Why Rory McIlroy deserves to be defended for skipping the FedEx St. Jude

Due to his decision to skip the event in Memphis, McIlroy has been criticised by some fans, journalists and even his fellow PGA Tour players.

There is certainly some merit to the criticisms of McIlroy.

If anything, the fact that he decided to skip the FedEx St. Jude Championship gave oxygen to the hardcore LIV Golf fans who swear that their model is the better product.

However, the fact that the Masters champion is embarking on what is essentially a world tour after the FedEx Cup Playoffs means that he should be cut some slack.

McIlroy is set to play in tournaments in Ireland, England, India, the UAE and Australia between the end of August and the new year.

He is doing his best to grow the game worldwide, so the fact that he isn’t playing in the FedEx St. Jude Championship really shouldn’t be that big of a deal.

Rory McIlroy’s 2025 results

McIlroy has enjoyed a fantastic season on the whole.

The fact that he completed the Grand Slam earlier this year means that 2025 will always live long in the memory for the 36-year-old.

Here are his results on the PGA Tour this season:

Many expected McIlroy to really kick on after his win at The Masters, but the opposite has happened.

The challenge now for the Northern Irishman will be to rest and go again during the Playoffs and then on his world tour.