Rory McIlroy believes this week's FedEx St. Jude Championship will be a good chance for him to assess the current standard of his game, as the Northern Irishman returns to PGA Tour action for the first time since The Open.
The two-time Masters champion heads into the first of three FedExCup Playoffs events at TPC Southwind in Memphis , which included holidays to Greece and Ibiza.
McIlroy, who is ranked 12th in the FedExCup standings, can also wrap up his 2026 PGA Tour season on a high note, as he bids to win a record-extending fourth FedExCup title.
The 37-year-old chose to skip last year's FedEx St. Jude Championship and instead took a four-week break following his tied-seventh finish at The Open before returning for the BMW Championship.
But ahead of this week's event, the Northern Irishman explained he was excited to tee up as one of 69 players in the field at TPC Southwind, adding he felt it was "important" to feature in the opening Playoffs event.
"A few different things went into that decision," McIlroy said.
"Having four weeks off going into the last two events of the year [2025] was probably going to be a little too much for me in terms of wanting to be competitive.
"Obviously, I want to play well, but it's also a good week to see where my game is, do a lot of practise, or as much as I can in the heat.
"I think it's important to be here. It's the FedExCup Playoffs. I think it's important for all the players to be here.
"I've had some good conversations with (PGA Tour CEO) Brian Rolapp over the last couple of weeks. It's important for me to be here and show support. I'm looking forward to teeing it up."
McIlroy has been open about his desire to reduce his schedule, and on the course he has enjoyed a solid 2026, successfully defending his Green Jacket, while finishing inside the top 10 in four of his 11 PGA Tour starts.
After the FedExCup Playoffs, McIlroy will look to defend his Irish Open title in September, before heading to Wentworth to tee up at the BMW PGA Championship.
But before then, he faces the challenge of outlasting some of the best players on the PGA Tour across three events in the blistering heat of the American south.
McIlroy, who has a great record in the PGA Tour's season-ending events, explained his game plan for the three-week stretch, saying he sees the Playoffs as "one long golf event".
"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.
"I've always tried to treat it like one big, long golf tournament and get into the rhythm of it and go from there.
"I've been lucky enough to do pretty well on these things over the years. So I'll try to add another one to the list."
The PGA Tour's FedExCup Playoffs begin on Thursday with the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Watch live on from 7pm or .
