The PGA Tour is buzzing with anticipation and a fair bit of introspection as the 2025 season charges into its penultimate stage at the BMW Championship. With just two weeks left until the season’s grand finale and the Ryder Cup looming on the horizon, golf’s biggest stars are juggling the demands of playoff pressure, personal ambition, and the ever-present scrutiny of fans and pundits. But is the format of the FedEx Cup Playoffs truly bringing out the best in the game, or is the conversation shifting elsewhere?
On August 14, Rory McIlroy, never one to mince words, made his feelings clear during his first-round press conference. When asked about the altered playoff format, which this year ditches the much-maligned 'Starting Strokes' system, McIlroy’s response was telling: “I guess it would still be nice to finish second after this week just to get a little bit more cash, I guess. Yeah, again, I guess you’re trying your best to win the golf tournament. Yeah, I guess you’re just not looking at the leaderboards as much because it obviously doesn’t really matter heading into next week where you are.” Four times he uttered “I guess,” a refrain that echoed the broader ambivalence among the tour’s elite.
McIlroy’s priorities have been under the microscope all summer. He skipped the opening leg of the FedEx Cup chase, opting instead for a breather and even using his social media platforms to promote the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai, an event still three months away. The message? The Memphis heat and the grind of August playoffs just don’t carry the same weight for a man with his eyes set on a loaded end-of-year schedule. As McIlroy admitted, “I wanted some extra rest, given how busy the end of my 2025 is going to be.”
He’s not alone in his sentiments. Jason Day, another seasoned pro, voiced his own nostalgia for the days when the playoffs rolled through iconic venues in New York, Chicago, and Boston. “At some point I hope we go back there because I think it would be nice to go back to some good memories, especially at a golf course I’ve enjoyed playing,” Day remarked, longing for stops at places like Olympia Fields, Medinah, and TPC Boston. For many players, the current rotation lacks the historic punch and fanfare that those classic tracks delivered.
Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler, the World Number One and the leader in the FedEx Cup standings, is trying to keep his focus on the present. Scheffler, who’s gunning for his second consecutive FedEx Cup title, weighed in on the format debate with his trademark candor. “I think when you look at the FedExCup, I think it’s a greater discussion,” he said. “Like if you’re going to have a true season-long race, truly the best player every year wins, odds are it’s not going to come to that interesting of a conclusion in most years.” He did, however, concede that this year’s system is an improvement over the confusing 'Starting Strokes' format, even if he’s nostalgic for the original points-based chase—flawed though it was. “If winning the FedEx Cup is your goal, it’ll take you a good season to get to the Tour Championship, then it’s on,” Scheffler noted, adding that the lack of consistency in format and scheduling chips away at the event’s significance.
But as much as the Tour wants the BMW Championship to be the center of attention, the shadow of the Ryder Cup is impossible to ignore. Scheffler’s own pre-tournament media session was dominated by Ryder Cup questions, prompting him to finally cut off the line of inquiry: “I love answering questions about the Ryder Cup, but this is ridiculous. We’re at the BMW Championship. The Ryder Cup is over a month away. If you want to talk about this week, let’s talk about this week. If not, I’ve got practice to do. I’m getting ready for a golf tournament.” His frustration was palpable, but it’s also a testament to the Ryder Cup’s gravitational pull in the golfing world.
Across the Atlantic, the Ryder Cup conversation has taken on its own intrigue. Rory McIlroy recently revealed that he turned down an offer to serve as a playing captain, citing the impossibility of juggling both roles. “I just think the commitments that a captain has the week of—you think about the extra media that a captain has to do, the extra meetings with vice captains, with the PGA of America, preparing your speech for the opening ceremony—there’s a lot of things that people don’t see that the captain does the week of the Ryder Cup, especially now that the Ryder Cup has become so big.”
For Keegan Bradley, who’s still vying for a spot as both a player and the U.S. captain, the challenge is very real. “He might be right. We don’t know. No one knows,” Bradley responded when asked about McIlroy’s concerns. “For me, I feel like this is one of the best years that I’ve ever had. One of the strangest things, what I’ve done throughout my entire career is really lean on other people for advice… In this instance, there’s no one to call. So nobody knows how this could work.” Bradley, currently 10th in Ryder Cup points, faces a crucial fortnight—two strong finishes could cement his place on the team and force the captaincy decision.
While the stars debate formats and future roles, Tommy Fleetwood’s story has captured hearts for a different reason. The Englishman endured another heartbreak at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, stumbling late when a victory seemed within reach. Still, Fleetwood stayed upbeat: “It was a great week. I did a ton of good stuff, and as disappointed as I am, I have to try to find the strength to make it all a positive experience and hopefully next time go again, put myself in that position again and we just go again.”
Fleetwood’s struggles have sparked debate beyond his own camp. Eddie Pepperell, speaking on the Chipping Forecast podcast, suggested that perhaps a “stronger, more experienced caddie with that ultra winning mentality” could help Fleetwood finally get over the line. “I just remember what Mick Doran did to me when I won for the first time in Qatar. I drew on his confidence down the stretch and that is a big, big thing.” Pepperell was quick to clarify he wasn’t calling for Fleetwood’s caddie to be replaced, but the conversation about what separates winners from nearly-men is alive and well.
Elsewhere, golf legend Gary Player weighed in with a hot take of his own, declaring on The Golf Supply YouTube channel that Jordan Spieth is “the best golfer in the world,” but lamenting that poor teaching has derailed Spieth’s once-ascendant career. “He just can’t hit the ball. What they are doing, they did it with Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler. Now those two guys. Jordan Spieth I think is the best golfer in the world but in my opinion he was taught the wrong thing. And he just went downhill.” Spieth, a three-time major winner between 2015 and 2017, now sits 51st in the world and hasn’t tasted victory since 2022—a “tragedy,” as Player put it.
With the playoffs in full swing, Ryder Cup speculation heating up, and legends weighing in on the game’s future, the world of professional golf is anything but settled. As the BMW Championship unfolds and the countdown to Bethpage Black continues, fans and players alike are left to wonder: Is the current system delivering the drama and meaning the sport deserves, or is it time for another bold change?
One thing’s for sure—there’s no shortage of storylines as the season races toward its thrilling conclusion.
