Rory McIlroy humbly confessed he’s been analyzing Scottie Scheffler’s performances as he yearns to clinch another major championship. Coming off a win from the DP World Tour Championship last November and starting the PGA Tour with a victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am this year, McIlroy isn’t resting on his laurels.
The Northern Irishman won an impressive four majors before turning 25, putting him in the league of legends like Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, but it’s been 10 years since he added to his tally. McIlroy came agonizingly close to ending his drought at last year’s U.S. Open before a final round heartbreak.
Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy will go head-to-head for major championship titles in 2025 (Image: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images for The Showdown)
After adding another title under his belt at Pebble Beach, McIlroy disclosed his interest in Scheffler’s playing strategy, stating, “I’m a big admirer of Scottie’s Scheffler for a lot of different reasons.”
“Every time I play with him and watch how he plays and how disciplined he is, it’s a really cool thing to watch. And I’m trying to take a little bit of a leaf from out of his book.”
The American golfer had a remarkable year in 2024, securing his second major title at the Masters. In addition to his first win at Augusta National since 2022, Scheffler also clinched gold at the Paris Olympics golf event and successfully defended his title at The Players Championship.
McIlroy has certainly taken note of his rival’s exceptional performance throughout 2024, stating: “When one of your peers has the year like he had last year, and honestly the year like he had in ’23 as well, you start to take notice at what he is doing and what has made him or helped him separate himself from the rest of the fields.
Rory McIlroy has made no secret of his admiration for rival Scottie Scheffler ( Image: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images for The Showdown)
“There’re impulses that I have on the golf course that it looks like Scottie doesn’t have and I have to rein those in, and I have to try to be a little more disciplined about it. For me, it’s really about trying to get the best out of myself.”
“I know if I can play to my capabilities and do what I did out there a little bit more, the world rankings or the career PGA Tour wins will take care of themselves. Scottie is and has been the best player in our game for the last couple of years and I feel like I’ve been close. That’s motivating to try to get the best out of myself and try to become the best player in the world again.”
