“Rory McIlroy Turns to History Books to Save His FedEx Cup Season: What He’s Doing to Bounce Back!”

Rory McIlroy may have had a disappointing start to the 2024 FedEx Cup at TPC Southwind last week, but his past performances suggest he still has reason to be hopeful.

McIlroy’s showing at the St. Jude Championship was less than stellar, as the four-time major champion finished second from bottom alongside Jordan Spieth at nine-over-par. His struggles on the golf course were evident in the statistics.

His performance in Memphis marked the worst driving performance of his career (-4.015), the 21st-worst approach week (-3.126), and the third-worst putting week (-7.833), marking a rocky start to the playoff campaign.

However, he will have an opportunity to correct his errors at this week’s BMW Championship, as the PGA Tour’s top-70 players were cut to 50 ahead of Thursday’s opening round. Despite the poor performance, McIlroy’s FedEx Cup record is impressive, providing him with some optimism with two events left to play.

No player has won more FedEx Cup titles than McIlroy, who claimed his record-breaking third crown at the Tour Championship at East Lake two years ago. The Northern Irishman entered the opening round of the season finale six shots behind leader Scottie Scheffler due to the staggered stroke system.

McIlroy found his groove in Atlanta though, where he hunted down Scheffler to snag the title for the third time. He’s aiming to bring that same magic to this season, and a peek at the record books suggests he’s got a solid shot at repeating his past triumphs.

No golfer has racked up more FedEx Cup winnings in PGA Tour history than McIlroy, and he’s surely eager to boost that number at the BMW Championship this week. His track record at the event is impressive; he clinched the championship in 2012, leaving Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood in his wake.

McIlroy has also been turning heads in recent years, landing in the top-10 four times in the last six years, including a fourth-place finish just a year ago. By his own sky-high standards, McIlroy’s season has been pretty solid, with two wins under his belt already.

Reflecting on what it’ll take to bag more victories as the season winds down, he shared last week: “I just have to finish off tournaments better. There’s been glimpses where I have done it, like Quail Hollow, for example, but obviously US Open, you know, Olympics. Yeah, I just, it’s just sort of, I feel like this year, maybe the last couple of years, I’ve just found a way to hit the wrong shot at the wrong time.”

“That might go into preparation and trying to practice a little more under pressure at home. You know, you go through these things in golf, and you go through these little challenges, and you just have to try to figure out a way to get through it.”