Rory McIlroy will return to action at the FedEx St Jude Championship next week, returning to the event he skipped last year.
McIlroy hasn't played since The Open at Royal Birkdale but will tee it up again at TPC Southwind in Memphis in the opening FedEx Cup Playoff event on the PGA Tour.
The Northern Irishman is 12th in the current FedEx Cup standings and with his lighter schedule this year some expected him to again miss the tournament, as he did 12 months ago when he was guaranteed of his place in the Tour Championship.
McIlroy's played in just 11 counting events this year, and even though he's playing in Memphis he'll still fall just short of the PGA Tour minimum 15 that's usually required.
The 37-year-old has already stated though that the PGA Tour has always been aware of his plans, with Brian Rolapp and his executives giving him a pass this year and citing an "extenuating circumstances" clause in the rulebook.
The World No.2 has had an injury this season, and after winning back-to-back Masters titles he's played just once in between each Major while also moving into a new home in Wentworth.
McIlroy will now take aim at a fourth FedEx Cup triumph though after being confirmed in the 70-man field at TPC Southwind - where if nothing else he can shake off any rust ahead of the BMW Championship at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis and the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta.
We're not quite sure whether McIlroy would've played the St Jude Championship had he been on course to play his PGA Tour minimum events or if the plan would always have been to play all three playoff tournaments.
Another possible reason for McIlroy's lighter year so far could be him always planning to have a busy late summer and autumn, starting with the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
McIlroy will then return to the DP World Tour as he goes in search of a fifth consecutive European No.1 title and eighth overall. He's currently second on the Race To Dubai behind Patrick Reed.
McIlroy will play in the Amgen Irish Open ahead of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth before the closing DP World Tour events in the Middle East take center stage.
He'll also play in the DP World India Championship and the Australian Open, along with the Cathedral Invitational after that, as he continues to build a more global aspect to his schedule.
