Rory McIlroy opens up on what changes for him when facing Scottie Scheffler

McIlroy has spoken several times about his admiration for Scheffler, and the feeling is mutual. The respect between them is not just about their records, but how they go about their business.

Speaking on The 5 Clubs Podcast, the 36-year-old was asked what he thought was Scheffler’s most valuable trait.

He explained: “I think his most valuable trait is his indifference to celebrity, I guess, would be the easy way to say it.

“He wants to be a golfer. He does very little outside of his realm. He lives what, from the outside, looks like a very simple life.

“He has his family, and he has golf, and he’s very adamant about that.

“I think when you get into this position in the world of golf or in sport, you are pulled in so many different directions, and I think Scottie has been so disciplined in saying, ‘no, this is what I want to do, and this is what I want to focus on’.

“And then I think, because of that, you can see that in his results and the consistency of his results. So I think he’s got a great structure around him. He’s got a great family, obviously, but then on the golf course, he just doesn’t make mistakes.

“He knows that if you’re going to play 72 holes, he’s not going to make many mistakes, and you’re just going to have to beat him, and to beat him, you’re going to have to take on some risk.

“I think what happens is people, and I’ve found this as well playing with Scottie, you feel like you have to take on more risk to beat him because you just feel like he’s not going to make a mistake.

“If you look at the stats on the PGA Tour, he leads in a lot of different statistical categories, but one of the ones that he’s high up on is bogey avoidance, and I think that’s one of the hallmarks of this game.”

This provides an interesting look into why players sometimes struggle against Scheffler.

His reliability can push opponents into taking unnecessary risks.

It might even be worth considering whether staying patient could work better than trying to force opportunities.

Scottie Scheffler v Rory McIlroy: how 2025 stacks up

Scheffler and McIlroy were the clear standouts on the 2025 PGA Tour, putting together a run of form that set them apart from the rest of the field.

Both displayed a level of consistency rare in today’s game, especially given how deep the talent pool is right now.

McIlroy had a banner year, notably completing his career Grand Slam and securing an Irish Open title on the DP World Tour.

He played a huge role in Europe’s Ryder Cup win at Bethpage Black and also picked up his seventh DP World Tour order of merit title – just one behind Colin Montgomerie’s record.

Still, it was hard to argue against Scheffler being more dominant than McIlroy when looking strictly at the 2025 PGA Tour.

To narrow the gap next season, the Northern Irishman might benefit from adopting a more risk-averse approach, perhaps by emulating Scheffler’s strategy for a period.