Rory McIlroy asserts Scottie Scheffler’s dominance as PGA Player of the Year
Rory McIlroy has delivered an X-rated assessment of Scottie Scheffler’s dominance after insisting there is “no chance” anybody else deserves to be crowned PGA Tour Player of the Year, reports BritPanorama.
The Northern Irishman believes the world No 1 has already done enough to secure the honour following another remarkable campaign. McIlroy himself has enjoyed an impressive year, highlighted by winning the Masters and recording seven top-25 finishes.
He could yet add the season-ending Tour Championship to his collection, but even that would not be enough to change his mind over who has been the standout golfer of 2026. “No, I’m not the player of the year,” McIlroy stated ahead of the BMW Championship at Bellerive Country Club. “No chance. Scottie is.”
Scheffler strengthened his claim with a dominant victory at the FedEx St Jude Championship last week. The American stormed to an eight-shot triumph at TPC Southwind, with McIlroy witnessing his brilliance at close quarters during the opening two rounds. Their performances in Memphis could hardly have been more contrasting; while Scheffler cruised to victory, McIlroy endured a difficult tournament and finished tied for 66th on eight over par.
And the 37-year-old offered a colourful warning to the rest of the PGA Tour if Scheffler continues performing at that level. “I firsthand watched him for the first two days last week, and if he keeps playing like that, [and] if he gains nine strokes on the greens every week, we’re all f’d,” McIlroy remarked.
That left McIlroy a staggering 25 shots behind the world No 1. Matt Fitzpatrick, himself a three-time PGA Tour winner this season, also suggested the Player of the Year contest may already be over. “I think a certain someone’s sewed it up last week,” he said.
Scheffler’s latest victory ended an unusually long wait for another trophy. Having won seven times in 2024 and another six tournaments last season, he had not tasted victory since the American Express in January. However, the absence of wins hardly told the full story of his campaign, as Scheffler has finished inside the top 25 in 17 of his 18 starts this season, recording five runner-up finishes and two thirds along the way.
His statistics further demonstrate the extraordinary consistency that has kept him firmly at the summit of the sport. Scheffler leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained overall and from tee to green while ranking third in putting. Viktor Hovland believes the American’s improvement on the greens has removed what was once one of the few vulnerabilities in his game, stating, “Now, it seems like putting and the rest of the game, like it doesn’t have a weakness.”
Scheffler is also closing in on another extraordinary milestone. His career on-course earnings stand at approximately $119.9 million, leaving him around $1 million short of Tiger Woods’ PGA Tour record. But for McIlroy, there appears to be considerably less debate surrounding another accolade.
As the season draws to a close, the notable disparity between these two players serves as a reminder of the fine margins in sport—where even an outstanding year can be eclipsed by extraordinary talent.
