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Rory McIlroy Gets Brutally Honest on Scottie Scheffler

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sahil Goswami | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 7:30 AM ET

Scottie Scheffler is making it look easy at the top. The World No. 1 golfer clinched his third PGA Tour title of the season with a dominant win at the Memorial Tournament, finishing 10-under-par and four strokes ahead of runner-up Ben Griffin. His May run also included victories at the CJ CUP Byron Nelson and the PGA Championship, making him the undisputed triumphant on tour.

With his latest win at Muirfield Village, Scheffler added $4 million to his name, pushing his season total to over $14.5 million. The win also helped him overtake Rory McIlroy on the money list. But despite being bumped from the top spot, McIlroy had nothing but respect for Scheffler’s game.

“I’ve never—this is anyone, this is Tiger, this is in the history of golf—I don’t think I’ve ever seen a golfer play as many bogey-free rounds as Scottie,” McIlroy said in a press interview. “He just doesn’t make mistakes.”

"He just ... doesn't make mistakes"

World No. 1's competitors on what makes Scottie Scheffler so outstanding on the course. pic.twitter.com/Vq2IbdGCfm
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 3, 2025

Scheffler’s precise and steady style of play is drawing major fan interest, too. CBS recorded over 3 million viewers during the Memorial’s final round—up 7% from last year. The weekend average hit 2.782 million, showing just how much Scheffler moves the needle.

Golf viewership: @GolfonCBS draws 3.063M viewers for Scottie Scheffler's win at the Memorial on Sunday, up 7% from 2.855M last year.

Prior two years were 3.115M (Hovland) and 2.319M (Horschel).

CBS averaged 2.782M for the weekend, up 14% from last year pic.twitter.com/JfsKziEfCa
— Josh Carpenter (@JoshACarpenter) June 3, 2025

McIlroy didn’t shy away from acknowledging Scheffler’s potential to dominate long-term. “If he continues to do that, he’s going to be the dominant force that he was last year and the year before that,” McIlroy added.

Now holding golf’s “Triple Crown,” Scheffler has climbed to the top of both the PGA Tour’s money and FedEx Cup points lists. While McIlroy may be trailing in earnings, he’s clearly aware that chasing Scheffler this season won’t be easy.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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