Rory McIlroy has expressed a different perspective from most players and fans regarding the old Tour Championship starting strokes format. While many disliked it, McIlroy recently said he believed it wasn’t such a bad system, arguing that the season’s top performer deserved some kind of advantage heading into the final week.
Speaking at his pre-tournament press conference at East Lake, Georgia, on Tuesday, August 19, McIlroy explained that he never minded the format.
> “I’m maybe part of the minority. I didn’t hate the starting strokes. I thought that the player that played the best during the course of the season should have had an advantage coming in here,” he said.
He acknowledged that the system wasn’t popular with fans or fellow golfers but defended its purpose. According to him, it was simply designed to make the FedEx Cup standings easier to follow, rather than requiring constant recalculations.
McIlroy even referenced Scottie Scheffler, noting that a small two-stroke lead hardly reflected the dominant season Scheffler has enjoyed. He added that match play had also been considered as an alternative format, though players found it difficult to accept since stroke play is used throughout the year.
> “I think it’s just hard for the players to reconcile that we play stroke play every week, but then the season-ending tournament could be decided by match play,” he explained. “That’s why it was difficult for players to embrace.”
For now, the event remains a traditional 72-hole stroke play tournament, something McIlroy said may not be perfect but is consistent with the regular PGA Tour schedule.
McIlroy’s opening round at the 2025 Tour Championship
Rory McIlroy, currently second in the FedEx Cup standings, will be paired with leader Scottie Scheffler for the opening round. The two stars will tee off at 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, August 21, as the final group of the day. Play begins at 11:16 a.m. ET, with Chris Gotterup and Akshay Bhatia starting the action.
McIlroy is chasing a fourth Tour Championship title. He first won in 2016, defeating Kevin Chappell and Ryan Moore in a playoff, then added victories in 2019 and 2022. His three titles make him the most successful player in the history of the event, surpassing Tiger Woods.