Robert MacIntyre withdraws from FedEx St. Jude Championship after opening 82

Scottish golfer Robert MacIntyre has pulled out of the FedEx St. Jude Championship before the second round after a difficult opening day left him dealing with a knee injury. The PGA Tour confirmed the withdrawal on Friday, ending his week at TPC Southwind in Memphis much earlier than planned.

MacIntyre, competing for the first time since last month’s Open Championship, carded a 12-over-par 82 on Thursday. It marked his worst round on the PGA Tour. The conditions did him no favours. Temperatures soared and the heat index climbed above 100 degrees, making the already demanding course even tougher.

Tough opening round in Memphis Heat

Robert MacIntyre’s scorecard told a story of struggle from start to finish. He recorded three double bogeys on holes 4, 15 and 18, along with a triple bogey on the sixth. His only bright spot came with a birdie on the 16th. By the end of the day, he sat last in the field, eight shots behind the next player.

The Scot was due to start his second round at 12:55 PM ET alongside JT Poston. With MacIntyre out, Poston will now play as a single. MacIntyre did not reveal which knee was causing the problem, though the combination of the injury and the extreme heat clearly played a role in the decision to withdraw.

Playing after a long break since the Open added another layer of difficulty. Returning to competitive golf under such oppressive conditions proved costly. The 82 left little room for recovery even before the injury forced his hand.

FedExCup implications and next steps

Despite the early exit, Robert MacIntyre remains in a relatively secure position for the short term. He currently sits 31st on the FedExCup points list, which is enough to keep him in next week’s BMW Championship field. That event is the second of three playoff stops.

The bigger concern is the Tour Championship. Only the top 30 players after the BMW Championship advance to the season finale. Projections now have MacIntyre dropping to 36th if results elsewhere go against him. He has reached the Tour Championship in each of the past two seasons, so missing out would mark a disappointing change.

Robert MacIntyre’s game has shown flashes of quality throughout the year, but this week in Memphis will be remembered as a tough one. The combination of rust, heat, and a knee issue proved too much on day one.

The attention now turns to how the rest of the field performs at TPC Southwind and whether MacIntyre can regain form quickly enough to protect his standing. The Scot will have a short turnaround before the BMW Championship, giving him limited time to recover and prepare. The FedEx St. Jude Championship continues without him, while the broader postseason picture remains fluid.