PGA Tour star comes to Rory McIlroy’s defense | Sports News

Rory McIlroy has been given the inexperienced mild to “do whatever he wants” after his selection to sit out the opening spherical of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Following Cam Young’s triumph on the Wyndham Classic, the PGA Tour kicked off the FedEx Cup Playoffs with the St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind – however McIlroy, who just lately stated that LIV Golf has handed the PGA Tour a “wake-up call,” selected to give the occasion a miss.

The golf star hasn’t competed since ending tied-seventh on the Open Championship final month. McIlroy‘s selection to keep away from the course caught many off guard, though he had hinted at this chance a 12 months earlier.

He stands as the only participant who earned playoff qualification but opted to bypass the inaugural occasion, passing up the possibility to compete within the match boasting a large $20 million prize pool. Although Player Director Peter Malnati confessed he felt “very concerned” about McIlroy’s selection, Lucas Glover sees no drawback with the choice.

The golf professional believes the 36-year-old has each proper to make his own choices and should prioritize his personal pursuits. “He can do whatever he wants and nobody can really say anything,” the 2009 U.S. Open winner said during his look on his SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio program. “Is it unfortunate for the tour? Yes. Is it unfortunate for the tournament? Yes.

“Is it unlucky for the sponsors? Yes, however Rory has obtained to do what’s best for Rory. Rory has performed a lot of golf, and he is going to play a lot of golf after this, I perceive that.

“Do I wish he was here? Sure. I know the tournament does, the sponsors do, the TV does but, with the current setup, they can’t say anything because it’s his choice, and it should be because we are technically independent contractors.

“I do suppose that now the precedent is set, there may be maybe purpose to handle this going ahead. That being stated, I do not blame him. There is nothing anyone can do, he is doing what’s best for him proper now this 12 months and that is nice. He has performed a ton and he is going to play a ton later and does not need to be right here, in order that’s that.”

McIlroy’s choice to skip the St. Jude Championship might stem from his disappointing showing there last year. The golfer chasing the career Grand Slam started strong with a 68 but then crumbled, ultimately finishing tied-68th – nearly dead last.

The Masters winner’s absence from the opening playoff event won’t hurt his shot at claiming a fourth FedEx Cup crown. Sitting in second place in the current rankings, McIlroy has already secured his spot in the Tour Championship at East Lake, no matter how he performs in Memphis or at the upcoming BMW Championship in Maryland.

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Despite a dip in performance, Rory McIlroy’s FedEx Cup ranking only dropped from third to fifth. In a conversation with The Telegraph back in November, McIlroy remarked: “I’ll in all probability not play the primary play-off occasion in Memphis. I imply, I completed mainly lifeless final there this 12 months [tied for 68 in a 70-man field], and solely moved down one spot within the play-off standings.”

Looking ahead, McIlroy is slated to compete four times over the course of six weeks starting from the BMW Championship next week, before he heads off to New York to don Team Europe’s colours within the Ryder Cup. Fans can anticipate to see McIlroy back in motion on the BMW Championship, scheduled to happen at Caves Valley from August 14-17.