In an effort to reduce his overall workload on the season, Masters champion Rory McIlroy decided not to play in this week's St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. As such, the first leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs will run with 69 of the top 70 players in the world -- McIlroy the lone missing piece from the start of the three-week postseason.

Rory McIlroy said months ago he might skip the first FedEx Cup playoff event in Memphis this year. Did he follow through? Here's the latest update:

The landscape has changed dramatically since McIlroy claimed his last FedEx Cup title in 2022. With starting strokes now scrapped, it will surely be a more competitive post-season as the Tour championship becomes a truer head-to-head contest with a level playing field.