GOLF
HEARTBREAK LOOMS: Scottie Scheffler Aims to Spoil Rory McIlroy’s Post-Holiday Cheer
I’ve been saying this for a long time; I think golf and golf fans deserve to see us together more than four times a year. That’s what we’ve tried to do. I think we all thought it was a good idea and something that hopefully is a sign of things to come in the future.” This was what Rory McIlroy said ahead of the Irish Open about the collaboration between PGA Tour pros and LIV golfers that the world is eagerly awaiting.
The netizens are all set for The Showdown between Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy who face Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in a four-ball format in Las Vegas. The event is scheduled for December 17 at the Shadow Creek Golf Club. Despite the upcoming partnership among the PGA Tour players, it looks like there could be another challenge between them.
Rory McIlroy
While Tiger Woods tops the list of the only five players who have spent more than a hundred weeks as World # 1, Rory McIlroy ranks fourth. He first reached the top on March 4, 2012, and withheld the position only for two weeks till March 17, 2012. The last time the Northern Irishman #1 was from October 23, 22 till February 12, 2023. He has been #1 seven times, and as a result, has spent a total of 122 weeks in the position.
On the other hand, there is Scottie Scheffler who made it to No. 1 on the OWGR list on March 27, 2022 and stayed through 29 weeks (till October 23, 2022). He again reached the top and has been that way since May 21, 2023. The 2x Masters winner has spent 110 weeks at the apex level, just 12 weeks shy of McIlroy’s tenure. And if reports by Nosferatu are to be believed, “Scottie is now guaranteed to overtake Rory in mid-January and is virtually certain to surpass DJ after the Masters!”
Well, this is because the regular 2024 season of the PGA Tour is already over, and Northern Irishman and Scheffler are enjoying off time. They will resume their play on the PGA Tour from January 2, 2025, at the Sentry. This will allow Scheffler to stay on top for approximately 8-9 more weeks. Interestingly, if Scheffler surpasses DJ after the Masters, he would also have the most consecutive weeks at #1 except for Tiger Woods twice (281, and 264 weeks). Nick Faldo peaked at 81 consecutive weeks and Norman at 96, while DJ’s record stands at 64 weeks.
Well, it is not just the records that speak volumes. It turns out Rory McIlroy himself believes that Scheffler is among one of the greatest golfers on the PGA Tour. He praised the American professional for his incredible golf and accomplishing what many PGA Tour players wished they could do.
Rory McIlroy praised Scottie Scheffler’s consistency
In 2007, Tiger Woods had 12 top-ten finishes with 7 wins, a 67.8 scoring average, and won $10,867,052. After almost a decade, Scottie Scheffler brought about the phenomenal record made by Woods in the world of golf once again. He has an eight-win season, which includes a second Masters Tournament title, an Olympic gold medal, and the FedEx Cup trophy. While Rory McIlroy has maintained consistency and is still on the top 3 of the OWGR list, he stated that Scheffler is better than him.
When asked what makes him so good at the sport, McIlroy stated that it was his consistency. “He’s amazing to watch the way he manages himself around the golf course. We’ll look back on 2024, and it’s one of the best individual years a player has had for a long time,” said McIlroy.
Who do you think is the better golfer among the two? Who’d win The Showdown? New best friends Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau? or the PGA Tour pros? Let us know in the comments section below!