It’s time for the weekend in Memphis at the first playoff event of the 2021-22 campaign, however, several of the biggest names in golf have slammed the trunk of their rental cars (or, let’s be honest, courtesy cars) and are headed home early.
While underdogs are thriving in the humidity, the FedEx St. Jude Championship will be without several standouts over the weekend at TPC Southwind.
Rory McIlroy looked rusty, while Scottie Scheffler couldn’t get anything going on the greens.
Tony Finau, the hottest player on Earth at the moment, is continuing his dominance and is once again near the top of the leaderboard. He shot a Friday 68, his 11th consecutive round of 68 or better.
Here are seven notable names who missed the cut, which came in at 2 under, at the playoff opener.
FedEx St. Jude Championship: PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ | Leaderboard
Scottie Scheffler (1 under)
The world’s best player couldn’t get it going with the flat stick, shooting rounds of 71-68 and missing a 20-footer at the last Friday afternoon that would have vaulted him to the right side of the cut line. He’s still in fine position to enter the week in Atlanta at the top of the FEC standings despite the missed weekend.
Rory McIlroy (1 under)
McIlroy took a few weeks off after coming up short at the 150th Open Championship, not even touching a club as he spent some time with the family in the London area. Well, the rust showed a bit in Memphis.
The Northern Irishman was 3 under for the tournament with seven holes to play Friday but made two bogeys coming in, including one at the ninth (his last), and missed the weekend by one.
He entered the week sixth in the FedEx Cup standings and is now projected eighth. McIlroy’s last MC came at the Valero Texas Open (he finished solo second at the Masters the following week).
Billy Horschel (1 under)
Billy Horschel opened with a 68 on Thursday, but a second-round 1-over 71 pushed him to the wrong side of the cut line. Four bogeys and a double were too much to overcome on Friday for the Florida Gator. He’s projected to fall to 22nd in the FEC standings (from 18th).
Jason Day (1 under)
With eight holes to go in his second round, Day was 1 under on the day, 6 under for the tournament and showed no signs of slowing down. Then bogeys at Nos. 2, 4, 6, 7 and 8 (he started his round on the back) sent the Aussie plummeting down the board, eventually landing on the wrong side of the cut line. Day entered the week outside the top 100 in the FEC standings so his season comes to a close in Memphis.
Webb Simpson (3 over)
Webb Simpson struggled with injuries earlier this year, and because of that, never got started in the right direction in the FedEx Cup standings. He entered the week ranked 122nd and will not be making the trip to Delaware next week for the BMW Championship thanks to rounds of 71-72 in Memphis.
Jordan Spieth (4 over)
Jordan Spieth’s last start came at the 150th Open Championship, where he grabbed a top 10, and like McIlroy showed signs of rust in the season’s first playoff event.
After posting an even-par 70 in the opening round, bogeys on Nos. 8, 9 and 12 and a double on the par-3 14th on Friday put him behind the eight ball and he eventually signed for a day-two 4-over 74.
He’s projected to drop three spots in the FEC standings to 18th.
Justin Rose (6 over)
Justin Rose entered the week ranked 94th in the FEC standings. With this missed weekend, the Englishman’s season is over as just the top 70 players move on to next week’s BMW Championship. Rounds of 71-75 weren’t good enough to get it done as two bogeys and a double on his back nine Friday were the nails in his coffin.
