Rory McIlroy confirmed for DP World Tour event after shock FedEx St. Jude Championship exit

Rory McIlroy, who claimed his third DP World Tour Championship victory in 2024, is confirmed to defend his title in November. The Northern Irishman will return after sealing his sixth Race to Dubai title to sit alongside legendary golfer Seve Ballesteros in joint second place for the most Race to Dubai victories. This comes just days after he announced his decision to skip the FedEx St. Jude Championship 2025.

McIlroy, who became one of the most decorated players in history after completing his career Grand Slam in April, currently sits two behind Colin Montgomerie on the all-time Race to Dubai title winners. Now, the ace golfer stands chance to cut the deficit by half at the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates. The World No.2 golfer will be joined by several big-name golfers including Tyrrell Hatton, who trails the PGA Tour icon by 1,109.51 points on the Race to Dubai Rankings.

Confirming his availability for the DP World Tour Championship, the 29-time PGA Tour winner said he’s “looking forward to finishing strong again” in Dubai.

Rory McIlroy said, as quoted by DP World Tour:

“Dubai has always been a special place for me. Winning both the DP World Tour Championship and the Race to Dubai last year was an incredible way to finish the season. To equal Seve’s record made it even more special. I’ve played some great golf this year and I’m looking forward to finishing strong again in front of the fans at Jumeirah Golf Estates.”

For the unversed, McIlroy is also confirmed for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the first event of the DP World Tour playoffs. The Masters champ, who has won the DP World Tour Championship in 2012, 2015 and 2024, is among the few golfers who qualified for both the PGA and the European playoffs.

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Why did Rory McIlroy opt out of the FedEx St. Jude Championship?

Rory McIlroy qualified for yet another FedEx Cup Playoffs after completing his long-awaited career Grand Slam at Augusta in April. However, the ace golfer shocked a few by opting out to not feature in the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The 36-year-old announced the decision days ahead of the event’s start at TPC Southwind.

Interestingly, the golfer had hinted at the possibility of such an event exit in 2024 when he revealed his decision to cut back his playing schedule. Speaking in an interview in November last year, the five-time major champion said he would “probably not play the first play-off event in Memphis.” He justified the probable call by stating that his 68th place finish in the contest made no difference in the playoff standings last year.

Rory McIlroy told The Telegraph in 2024, as quoted by Golf Monthly:

“I’ll probably not play the first play-off event in Memphis. I mean, I finished basically dead last there this year (tied for 68 in a 70-man field), and only moved down one spot in the play-off standings.”

For the unversed, Rory McIlroy currently sits second in the FedEx Cup standings with over 850 points lead ahead of third-placed Sepp Straka. The lead allows the golfer to qualify for the BMW Championship, FedEx Cup's second Playoff event, despite missing the playoffs opener.

It is also noteworthy that the ace golfer’s form at TPC Southwind hasn’t been the best. He finished second-last in 2024, third in 2023 and missed the cut in 2022.

Edited by Vishnu Mohan