Rory McIlroy struggles at FedEx St. Jude Championship

Rory McIlroy finished 66th at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, marking a difficult return to competitive play after a month-long hiatus following The Open Championship. The World No. 2 posted rounds of 74, 70, 72, and 72, finishing 8 over par at TPC Southwind.

McIlroy attributed his performance to a lack of competitive rhythm and technical struggles with his swing. He noted that focusing too heavily on mechanics caused him to lose awareness of his targets, stating, “Sometimes the golf swing becomes more important than the actual golf shot.” Despite the slump, he secured his place in the next playoff event, the BMW Championship, remaining 13th in the FedEx Cup standings.

In addition to his on-course struggles, the tournament featured a notable clerical error where McIlroy’s name was misspelled as “MCLLROY” on both the leaderboard and his caddie’s bib. McIlroy plans to work with swing coach Michael Bannon and caddie Harry Diamond to refine his game before competing at Bellerive Country Club.