This week in Atlanta, the 30 players competing in the Tour Championship began the event without any carryover FedEx Cup points, meaning no golfer received an initial advantage based on their prior season performance. This change marks a significant departure from previous years, where players started with staggered scores reflecting their FedEx Cup rankings. Rory McIlroy addressed the new setup on Tuesday, noting that while the format has been adjusted for this year, it remains a work in progress according to the Northern Irish star.
Mixed Views on Eliminating Starting Strokes
McIlroy, who participated on the PGA Tour’s Player Advisory Committee (PAC) responsible for redesigning the Tour Championship, acknowledged his minority opinion regarding the removal of starting strokes. He expressed support for the concept that season-long performance should confer an advantage coming into the finale.
“I’m maybe part of the minority. I didn’t hate the starting strokes,”
—Rory McIlroy, professional golfer
“I thought that the player that played the best during the course of the season should have had an advantage coming in here. But the majority of people just didn’t like the starting strokes.”
—Rory McIlroy, professional golfer
In May, the PGA Tour announced the elimination of starting strokes, calling it
“an important first step in the evolution of our postseason.”
McIlroy explained that this decision was primarily made with fan engagement in mind, though he acknowledged the counterargument that Scottie Scheffler, who dominated the points race, might have deserved a larger head start than the two strokes typically granted.
Match Play Format Explored but Postponed for Now
McIlroy revealed that the PAC had considered a shift to a match play format for the Tour Championship, but it was ultimately deferred for this year. Match play could return as a potential option in future seasons.
“Look, there was a lot of other stuff on the table. Match play was on the table, and that got canned for this year,”
—Rory McIlroy, professional golfer
“I think it’s just hard for the players to reconcile that we play stroke play for every week of the year but then the season-ending tournament is going to be decided by match play. I think it was just hard for the players to get their heads around that.”
—Rory McIlroy, professional golfer
The PGA Tour hosted an official match-play event from 1999 until 2023 with the WGC Match Play tournament, which was removed from the schedule following that span. Though some critics argue match play determines the best player only for that week rather than the best overall season performer, McIlroy himself won the event in 2015 as the No. 1 seed. Dustin Johnson won in 2017, and Scottie Scheffler triumphed in 2022 as the fifth seed.
Mock Match Play Proposals Emphasize Rewarding Season Excellence
Golf Digest recently presented a hypothetical match play bracket that would grant the top eight seeds, including McIlroy and Scheffler, a bye in the first round to recognize their season-long achievements, similar to formats used in the <a href="https://www.buzzineintl.com/category/football/nfl/”>NFL playoffs. McIlroy remained open to this idea returning in coming years.
“I don’t know, maybe that will be on the table again, who knows,”
—Rory McIlroy, professional golfer
“Yeah, look, it’s a 72-hole stroke-play event, and that’s what we play week in and week out. That’s what’s going to determine the winner.”
—Rory McIlroy, professional golfer
McIlroy’s Track Record and Perspectives on the New Setup
The FedEx Cup, established in 2007, crowns the season-long points leader, and McIlroy holds the record with three FedEx Cup titles (2016, 2019, and 2022). He is aiming for his fourth this year and appears comfortable with the current format, noting that he has not previously started the Tour Championship with the top seed’s starting strokes advantage.
“I don’t think I ever started this tournament in the starting strokes era at 10 under, like in the No. 1 spot,”
—Rory McIlroy, professional golfer
He added that, in some respects, this year’s format places him in a better position compared to previous years and reaffirmed his commitment to competing fiercely for the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup despite the changes.
“But no, I think with the format change or with whatever the money is, we’re still playing for the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup, and that’s enough to play as hard as possible for.”
—Rory McIlroy, professional golfer
Future of the Tour Championship Format Remains Open
With the removal of starting strokes and the postponement of match play as the season-ending format, the Tour Championship is currently a straightforward 72-hole stroke-play event, aligning it with all other tournaments in the PGA Tour season. However, McIlroy’s comments underscore the ongoing debate among players and organizers about how best to balance rewarding season performance with fan engagement and competitive fairness. The possibility of reinstating match play or introducing other format innovations remains under consideration in the coming years, making the Tour Championship’s structure a topic to watch closely.