Rory McIlroy shares why Scottie Scheffler is better than him at the top of the golf world

Rory McIlroy shares why Scottie Scheffler is better than him at the top of the golf world

Rory McIlroy recently shared his thoughts on why Scottie Scheffler has risen to the top of the golf world, admitting that Scheffler’s exceptional game sets him apart from the rest of the PGA Tour. McIlroy, who has had a solid season but feels he has room to improve, praised Scheffler for his ability to consistently beat…

Rory McIlroy recently shared his thoughts on why Scottie Scheffler has risen to the top of the golf world, admitting that Scheffler’s exceptional game sets him apart from the rest of the PGA Tour. McIlroy has had a good season but feels he can still improve and praised Scheffler for his ability to consistently beat his rivals.

“Scotty has more birdies than me and fewer bogeys,” McIlroy said after Sunday’s round. So now it’s a little bit better.’One of the things I’ve always been impressed with about Scotty is how many bogeys he has,” McIlroy said, noting that Scheffler has consistently produced mediocre rounds without a bogey in recent years and that his performance has been easy and consistent. “When you don’t make a lot of bogeys, the rest of the players have to do something special to catch up,” McIlroy added.

Scheffler’s bogey-avoidance ability was so impressive that he finished second to Xander Schauffele in bogey avoidance at the BMW Championship. During the 2024 season, Scheffler recorded just 133 bogeys, a testament to his accuracy and consistency.

Scheffler’s rise began in 2022, when he went from an unbeaten golfer on the PGA Tour to a proven champion. Since then, he has accumulated 13 victories, including two major championships, an Olympic gold medal, two consecutive Players Championships, and four wins in eight major tournaments. He currently leads the PGA Tour in scoring average with a staggering 68 and is averaging approximately 4.82 birdies per round, the lowest average in PGA Tour history. Scheffler entered the 2022 and 2023 Tour Championships as the top-ranked player in the FedEx Cup standings. Although McIlroy and Viktor Hovland ultimately won those events, Scheffler’s dominance over the seasons remained unchallenged. Reflecting on what makes Scheffler so exceptional, McIlroy highlighted his consistency and composure. “His attitude and demeanor on the track is remarkable, regardless of where he is in the standings. “It’s incredible to watch him do it,” McIlroy said. “When we look back, 2024 will be remembered as one of the best individual years a player has had in a long time.”

In 2024, Scheffler’s accomplishments were truly extraordinary: He won seven of the 19 events he entered, had two runner-up finishes, had 16 top-10 and 17 top-25 finishes, and didn’t miss a single stage all season. His incredible consistency set him apart from the crowd and cemented his place at the pinnacle of professional golf.