Thursday 22 August 2019 11:22, UK
Rory McIlroy believes winning the Tour Championship means far more than money ahead of his bid to win the FedExCup and $15m jackpot.
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McIlroy heads to East Lake fifth in the season-long standings after registering 13 top-10s on the PGA Tour in 2019, including victories at the Players Championship and RBC Canadian Open.
The tournament format change sees the winner of this week's event also crowned the 2018-19 FedExCup champion, with an increased prize fund, but McIlroy insists that money isn't his motivation as he attempts to win the tournament for a second time.
"If the FedExCup wants to create a legacy that lasts longer, it doesn't need to be about the money," McIlroy said. "It should be about the prestige of winning an event that you'll be remembered for.
"I'm not saying that money is a bad thing, it motivates a lot of people, but I think for me and my competitive spirit, I want to win the FedExCup for a lot of different reasons.
"Look, it would be nice to win on Sunday and be, oh, I'm $15m richer, but at the same time I'll get more satisfaction from winning the golf tournament and playing well.
"I don't think the money needs to be front and centre, because I don't think that's what the fans care about. Players might care about it and we want to be rewarded and paid for what we do, but competitively it's not about that. It's about trying to win golf tournaments."
FedExCup points were previously reset ahead of the Tour Championship, whereas the 2019 contest sees Justin Thomas start on 10 under and all players given a stroke-based advantage according to their position in the standings.
McIlroy will begin the week on five under and five strokes off the pace, with the world No 3 having mixed views about the changes to the scoring system.
"Is people starting the tournament on different numbers the best way to do it?," McIlroy added. "I get it from a fan experience point of view and I get it from giving guys that have played better throughout the year an advantage.
"At the same time, it will make it sweeter for a guy that starts at even or one under par and goes all the way through the field and wins. Come back to me on Monday, and I'll tell you whether it's worked or not!
"Depending on where you come into this tournament, you've always got a different perspective. I know it's definitely a simplified version and format and people will understand it better.
"I think it gives more guys a chance to win this week. If you look at it just from that lens, it probably is better this way."
Who will win the FedExCup? Watch the Tour Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 6pm on Sky Sport Golf.
