Last year, being forced to twice help his number one rival into a green jacket – once in the Butler Cabin, then again on the 18th green – had to sting Scottie Scheffler. Sure, he managed it with a smile, which is what you’d expect, but just under the surface of that bearded grin, a fire had to be burning.
Three majors later, any question as to who the game’s real top dog was had been emphatically answered.
This year, Scheffler’s services weren’t required at the awards ceremony. Finishing second place at the Masters is an impressive achievement, but you’re still just the first loser, and away from the cameras, if he was watching at all, then it’s hard to picture Scheffler’s lips portraying any hint of a smile.
His win at Royal Portrush drew him to within one of McIlroy and Brooks Koepka in the major stakes, and his dominance there and at Quail Hollow for the PGA Championship suggested that it was only a matter of time before he tied, then overtook them.
It still may be only a matter of time, but McIlroy has widened the gap and should be approaching the remaining three major championships this year with much more vigour than he did last year as he struggled to rediscover his drive after finally getting that which he coveted most.
We’ve now had Scheffler-McIlroy and McIlroy-Scheffler one-twos at Augusta National, though the former was never really a battle and the latter came with two groups in between.
Scheffler is still the world number one, McIlroy still number two, but the gap has narrowed and the lion’s share of the golfing season is yet to come. The last time we saw the two square off in a final-round battle in the same group was at the Tour Championship in 2022. McIlroy got the better of Scheffler in that one, but Scottie had claimed four PGA Tour wins, including The Masters that year, and there was no doubting who’d had the better season.
Surely 2026 is the year that we see a proper head-to-head battle between the game’s two leading superstars, and where better than at Shinnecock Hills in June where Scheffler will have his first opportunity to complete a Career Grand Slam of his own by adding the U.S. Open to his Masters, PGA and Open Championship titles.
I’m sure Rory thinks Scottie is a nice guy, but I’m equally sure that Rory would desperately love to foil his attempts at joining him in that most exclusive of clubs. He probably would be happy to see him do it at some stage, just not yet – not while McIlroy is in his prime and hunting down a Career Grand Slam double for which he needs another U.S. Open and another Open Championship.
Normally, the Monday after The Masters brings feelings bordering on depression, knowing that the greatest golf tournament of them all is as far away as it can be, but not this year. This year brings fresh hope that the sort of rivalry the sport has been crying out for could soon unfold before our very eyes.
Neither player brought their ‘A’ games for the full four rounds at Augusta National, but still took the top two positions on the leaderboard. Imagine a scenario where they both separate themselves and go toe to toe over Saturday and Sunday…
Then, we’ll find out who the game’s real alpha dog is.
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