Rory McIlroy is back in Memphis this week, one year after he bypassed the opening round of the PGA Tour playoffs in favor of some rest. McIlroy said his inclusion at this year’s FedEx St. Jude Championships is a nod to not having played in recent weeks, but he also admitted to having some conversations with PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp leading up to the tournament that begins Thursday at TPC Southwind.

McIlroy’s Decision to Play

At No. 2 in the FedExCup standings last year when the playoffs began, McIlroy knew he was not in danger of falling out of the top 50 that qualified for the second weekend of the three-week playoffs, so he skipped the event. However, this year, McIlroy is at No. 12 in the FedExCup standings and feels it’s essential to play in the opening round of the playoffs.

“Yeah, a few different things went into that decision,” McIlroy said Wednesday about playing this week. “I think having four weeks off going into the last two events of the year was probably going to be a little too much for me in terms of wanting to be competitive. So this is a good week (to return).”

McIlroy also emphasized the importance of a full field in the opening round of the playoffs, stating that it’s good for the PGA Tour and that he wants to show his support by participating.

Heat and Playoffs

The playoff heat will be on in more ways than one, as the tournament will take place in Memphis, St. Louis, and Atlanta in August. McIlroy plans on stitching the upcoming run of golf together in one long stretch, trying to view the playoffs as one big, long tournament.

“I almost try to view the playoffs as one big, long tournament, like a 12-round event,” McIlroy said. “You’ve got to pace yourself. It’s three long weeks. We’re going from here to St. Louis to Atlanta. Every week is going to feel a bit like this. It’s going to be hot and sweaty. So you want to be able to conserve energy as well.”

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.