Oh, what a treat it is to watch two of the best golfers in the world paired together in a playoff event! Scottie Scheffler & Rory McIlroy are playing the first couple of rounds of the 2025 BMW Championship in the same group. The Irishman, who intentionally skipped the first playoff event, made his return to the course for the first time since The Open 2025. The world’s #1 was heavily featured at TPC Southwind and finished tied at 3rd place. Now, they are playing together as they fight for the Player of the Year title, and they expressed how pleased they are with the situation.
After the end of the first round, Scheffler amassed a score of 4-under 66 to get a clubhouse lead. However, when joining the post-round interview, the reporters were more interested in knowing what he felt like playing with McIlroy on Thursday. Mr. Inevitable admitted, “Yeah, I mean, it’s really fun. I think it’s a real treat to be able to come out here and compete against the best players in the world week in and week out, and there’s nothing better than playing with Rory. He’s obviously a very talented player, and we always have fun together on the course.”
Considering the kind of form the Irishman was in at the beginning of the season, he posed a real threat to Scheffler’s position as the world #1. That would have motivated the 17-time PGA Tour champion to rise from his slump in the first quarter of the season. McIlroy’s career Grand Slam win was quite inspirational, and he had admitted that the world #2 is an incredible player. Scheffler, who is only 1 major away from a career Grand Slam himself, will be eager to follow in the footsteps and achieve the same milestone soon.
Interestingly, Rory was also questioned about the same situation during his post-round interview. And he also didn’t hold back on appreciating the opportunity of playing with Scottie. McIlroy said, “I love playing with Scottie. I always have. I like the cadence that he plays the game at. I like his rhythm. He doesn’t really take a ton of time. I feel like there’s guys that you like to get paired with, and there’s guys — some guys that you don’t. I’ve always enjoyed playing with Scottie.”
Being a huge critic of the pace of play, Rory McIlroy always appreciates playing alongside golfers who can manage stroke time well. But when it comes to Scottie Scheffler specifically, he is always very confident about his strokes. So he doesn’t usually take time during the buildup, whether it’s off the tee, on the fairway, rough, or green. McIlroy appreciates that about the world #1, despite being constantly in competition with him. He has never shied away from acknowledging Scheffler’s abilities. The 36-year-old even admitted how the latter dominated The Open on his home soil at Royal Portrush, admitting that what happened was ‘inevitable’.
This is not the first time the two have come together in the same group this year. They were paired together along with world #3, Xander Schauffele, at Quail Hollow for the 2025 PGA Championship as well. While all three players finished in vastly different positions in the major, their group still drew a lot of viewership as fans were excited to watch them play together.
via Getty
While Schauffele is not battling for the Player of the Year title, McIlroy and Scheffler have two playoff events to decide who will lift the FedEx Cup. However, according to the Irishman, the question about who is the best player of the season has already been answered.
Rory McIlroy acknowledges Scottie Scheffler’s dominance in 2025
At the end of April, it seemed like 2025 was going to be Rory McIlroy’s year. The 36-year-old was a Grand Slam champion and was in the form of his life. What’s more? His biggest rival, Scottie Scheffler, was going through a miserable run of form, throwing tantrums and losing titles frequently. However, the huge win didn’t just take the chip off McIlroy’s shoulder; it also took off any motivation he had to compete. The Irishman lost his rhythm and spiralled out of control. It took him months to recover from the slump, but he hasn’t yet won any title since his triumph at ANGC.
On the other hand, Scheffler found his way back to form. He kicked things off by winning THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson back home in Dallas. Then came two major wins and a Signature event. He is now only 1 major away from becoming a career Grand Slam champion himself. Only the U.S. Open title evades him.
Speaking of the world #1’s dominance in 2025, Rory McIlroy said, “Everyone knows Scottie Scheffler is the — you know, he’s won two majors this year. He’s head and shoulders above the rest in terms of the points going into this week. He’ll be ahead of everyone in the points going into next week. So he’s deservedly got his bonus all the way through.” While the FedEx Cup result still hangs in the balance, the season’s champion, according to the Irishman, is Mr. Inevitable.
