What’s Rory doing in Memphis?

Golf Digest

It has been an odd summer for Rory McIlroy, strange in a quieter register than last year, when he seemed unmoored after finally crossing a finish line he'd once doubted he'd reach when completing the career Grand Slam. This time around he's simply been absent from the conversation, with zero top-5 finishes since defending his Masters title. Part of that is scarcity itself: McIlroy has played just six times post Augusta National, a deliberate throttling back as he enters his third decade as a professional. Conversely, his relationship with the PGA Tour has cooled. He's needled the tour's new changes and questioned aloud, just weeks ago, why he should bother teeing it up for the first two playoff events. Yet here he is in Memphis for the postseason's opening week. Maybe he senses an opening in a wide-open Player of the Year race; maybe it's a gesture of good faith toward new commissioner Brian Rolapp. Whatever the calculus, McIlroy's presence at the FedEx St. Jude Championship is the week's central storyline, as Shane Ryan explores here.

Rory McIlroy returns as the five-man Player of the Year race heats up

10 things for the FedEx St. Jude Championship, including an unbelievably loaded field.

By Shane Ryan

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Jay Coffin 

While LIV Golf’s Team Championship has not officially been cancelled, it’s still listed on its website, there aren’t many who think it’s going to be played. That includes the announcers on Sunday’s TNT broadcast of the event at Bedminster. The event at The Cardinal at Saint John’s in Plymouth Township has been unlikely for weeks, with reports saying the course has no noticeable build out just three weeks out. Following Joaquin Niemann’s win on Sunday, host Craig Doyle was talking about the next event in Indianapolis (Aug. 20-23) and then followed it with this: "That is going to be, at this stage, I think we can call it, is going to be the final event in LIV Golf 2026.” Will it be its final event ever?

Christopher Powers 

Eli Manning is up to no good at TPC Southwind (again). It was dead quiet by the first tee at TPC Southwind as Collin Morikawa teed off in his practice round Tuesday morning. Then, after he pounded a high fade over the trees and into the middle of the first fairway, some whack job came sprinting down from the grandstand screaming "WHERE IS MY FEDEX TRUCK?!?!" As a diehard New York Giants fan, it did not take me long to realize that that whack job was actually two-time Super Bowl MVP, Eli Manning.

Sam Weinman 

Joel Beall’s fascinating profile of Brian Rolapp made me respect the new PGA Tour CEO in every way but one. When Rolapp acknowledged to Beall his rule about not playing golf for work, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was missing the point. Rolapp’s reasoning is there’s too much work to do, and I’m sure there is. But working in golf, especially as a newcomer, also means trying to understand the game through the eyes of a player. And not playing also forfeits one of golf’s most powerful tools. If you really want to connect with people, especially if you want them to respond to you as a leader, let them see you dribble one off the tee. A willingness to look stupid on the golf course is not a sign of weakness, but confidence.