Rory McIlroy will no longer benefit from golf format that earned him millions

outspoken criticism appears to have swayed chiefs, leading to the abolition of the contentious starting-strokes format at the Tour Championship. The three-time winner has benefited from the format and made millions at the event, but never shied away from expressing his disapproval of the system.

Since its inception in 2019, the format granted the FedEx Cup frontrunner a 10-under-par advantage, with others trailing based on their rankings. Commissioner Jay Monahan has heeded the widespread dissatisfaction and announced significant changes. Starting this year, all competitors will begin on equal terms with the conventional even-par start. The victor will not only claim the FedEx Cup but also bag a substantial bonus and a coveted five-year tour exemption.

McIlroy didn't mince words when he aired his grievances back in 2019, stating: "You can shoot the best score of the week and not win the tournament. If that happens to someone, it's going to be hard for them to wrap their head around. I get it from a fan experience point of view, I get it from giving guys that have played better throughout the year an advantage, but I don't know.

"We had breakfast with some of the sponsors, and what I said to them was 'if the PGA Tour is trying to do this season of championships, which starts with the Players in March, then goes through the four majors and culminates with the FedEx Cup at the end.

"If the FedEx Cup really wants to have this legacy in the game like some of these other championships, is people starting the tournament on different numbers the best way to do it?"

Top PGA golfer Sam Burns, in April, voiced his confusion over the format, stating: "Right now, it's a bit confusing for fans to have a tournament where we start even all year and then in our biggest tournament of the year, there are starting strokes. There's a bit of a disconnect."

The reigning champion, Scottie Scheffler, kicked off last year's competition with a ten-under advantage, ultimately finishing thirty-under, outpacing his compatriot Collin Morikawa by four strokes, who himself began at four under.

Addressing his concerns in Atlanta last August, Scheffler suggested: "Shifting the Tour Championship to a more straight-up format with a tougher course setup makes it easier for fans to follow and provides a more challenging test for players-which brings out the best competition.

"We want the Tour Championship to be the hardest tournament to qualify for and the FedEx Cup trophy the most difficult to win."

PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan acknowledged the significance of recent announcements as "an important first step in the evolution" of the FedEx Cup finale, amidst an array of proposals aimed at refining how the Tour recognises the achievement of maintaining season-long standings.

One such proposal was a knockout matchplay event, where players would join the competition at various stages based on their ranking going into the season's final tournament.

Other suggestions involved a similar playoff-based structure. This new format will be implemented in this year's Tour Championship, set to take place at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta from August 21-24.