Jordan Spieth addresses Rory McIlroy skipping the 2025 FedEx St. Jude Championship. Backing the Masters champion, Spieth responds to critics and shares thoughts on new PGA Tour policies around playoff participation.
đď¸ Jordan Spieth Defends Rory McIlroyâs Decision to Skip FedEx St. Jude Championship
Jordan Spieth recently addressed the media ahead of the 2025 FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis. The 13-time PGA Tour winner gave a candid opinion on Rory McIlroy’s controversial decision to skip the tournament, the first leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
âYou might have one or two guys do that for an event, but I don’t think it will become a thing because they are still huge events against the best players in the world,â Spieth said, as quoted by the Irish Star.
đŁ PGA Tour May Crack Down on Playoff Skips
McIlroyâs absence drew criticism from figures like PGA Tour Player Director Peter Malnati, and it has fueled speculation about upcoming rules to prevent top players from skipping playoff events. Spieth weighed in:
âI think they’re trying to figure out how to make sure you don’t skip both of them and ideally neither of them,â he stated, hinting at the policy discussions underway.
âł McIlroy Still Holds Strong Position in FedEx Standings
Despite skipping the St. Jude Championship, McIlroy remains second in the FedEx Cup standings with 3,444 points from the regular season. His absence may raise eyebrows, but his playoff future remains intact.
Meanwhile, Jordan Spieth, who famously won the 2015 Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup, has never skipped a playoff event in his career.
đ¤ McIlroy Once Admitted to Underestimating Spieth
In October 2024, Rory McIlroy admitted in an interview with Kyle Porter that he had misjudged Spieth early in his career. Reflecting on their 2013 pairing at San Antonio, McIlroy confessed:
“I remember the first time, I think I told you this, the first time I played with Jordan Spieth, 2013 San Antonio. And I played the first two days with him, and he missed the cut. And I’m like, âWhat is the big deal with this kid? Very average.â”
He continued:
“And he comes on and nearly wins the grand slam two years later.”
đ Spiethâs Career Rise Has Been Nothing Short of Phenomenal
Jordan Spiethâs breakout season in 2015 saw him win the Valspar Championship, the Masters, and the U.S. Open, followed by the John Deere Classic and the Tour Championship. His success earned him the Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year in 2016.
