Why Rory McIlroy wants to give LeBron James a golf lesson

Golf has increasingly attracted elite athletes from other sports, and Rory McIlroy offered one of the clearest examples of that crossover on Wednesday afternoon at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The world No. 2 was asked which celebrity he would most like to teach, and his answer was NBA superstar LeBron James, whom he described as an exceptionally gifted athlete who has become increasingly interested in golf.

“I would say LeBron [James],” McIlroy said. “LeBron’s really gotten into golf and he’s the most unbelievably gifted athlete, but it doesn’t look like it when he’s on the golf course. I’d love to give him a lesson.”

Rory McIlroy on Lebron James

"He's the most unbelievably gifted athlete… but it doesn't look like it when he's on the golf course! I'd love to give him a lesson." pic.twitter.com/jkAqPjHWRn

— Jamie Kennedy (@jamierkennedy) August 12, 2026

The comments came as McIlroy returned to competition at TPC Southwind in Memphis for the opening event of the FedEx Cup playoffs. He skipped the FedEx St. Jude Championship last year but is playing this week as part of his effort to make another run at a fourth FedEx Cup.

McIlroy currently sits 12th in the season-long standings with 1,738 points, 2,385 behind world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. He has played only six times on the PGA Tour since winning his second straight Masters title in April, including the other three major championships. His most recent competitive appearance was a tie for 40th at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in mid-July.

The FedEx St. Jude Championship is also important for McIlroy’s PGA Tour membership requirements. By playing this event and qualifying for the BMW Championship and Tour Championship, he is scheduled to reach 14 PGA Tour tournaments this season, one short of the 15-event minimum.

McIlroy said he had “productive” discussions with PGA Tour commissioner and CEO Brian Rolapp and remains confident a solution can be reached. His schedule already includes six global events after the Tour Championship, including the Irish Open, BMW PGA Championship, DP World India Championship, Abu Dhabi Championship, DP World Tour Championship and Australian Open.

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