School is calling, but Rory McIlroy is at the tee – a dilemma that makes his current form ahead of the 2026 BMW Championship all the more human. He would have loved to witness his daughter Poppy's first day of school, but instead, he's battling it out in St. Louis at the playoff event. After a rather mediocre performance at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, where he finished 66th at eight over par, simply improving this week would be a victory for him.
Between Drives and Daddy Duties
Nevertheless, the Northern Irishman currently sits at 13th in the FedExCup standings, still safely projected for the 30-man Tour Championship. This week, he's playing in the BMW Championship, the second playoff event, at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis in the early afternoon wave alongside Xander Schauffele.
Player of the Year in Sight – But Not for Rory
And even though he's giving it his all this week, Rory McIlroy has almost written off the Player of the Year Award: For him, Scottie Scheffler is the clear favorite in this category. An honest assessment that shows McIlroy keeps an eye on the bigger picture beyond his own scores – a true sportsman, indeed. He's trying to be truly strong on the green again while perhaps mentally lingering on his daughter's first day of school. Just the usual madness of a Tour star with family ties.
