Current world number one, Scottie Scheffler will be looking to retain his crown as the 2025 McIlroy vs Scheffler battle kicks off. Scheffler missed several PGA Tour events after a freak injury sustained on Christmas day. The 28-year old suffered an injury to his right hand while making ravioli for dinner and required surgery to remove shards of broken glass.
Scheffler, the current number one, will return to action for the first time this year at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The American remains confident that his injury will have little to no impact on his game and has already set his sights on making a winning comeback.
“It’s one of those deals where immediately after it happened I was mad at myself because I was like gosh, that’s so stupid, but you just don’t think about it when you’re in the moment,” Scheffler said regarding the injury. “It really wasn’t terrible, but I knew I kind of messed something up just because the way my hand wasn’t really moving much and if I did, it hurt pretty bad. So I kind of knew something was up.”
McIlroy Praises Scheffler: “He Doesn’t Make Mistakes!”
Scheffler’s biggest rival for the world number one spot, Rory McIlroy started his 2025 campaign by finishing tied-fourth in the Dubai Desert Classic. Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler have both been regarded by pundits and fans as two of the best golfers in the world. Both have enjoyed stellar careers and boast impressive achievements with Scheffler winning 13 PGA Tour titles which includes the 2022 WM Phoenix Open and the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational. He also won the 2022 Masters Tournament.
On the other hand, McIlroy is a four-time major champion with a record of 24 PGA Tour events wins. He won the 2011 US. Open, 2012 PGA Championship, 2014 Open Championship and the 2014 PGA Championship. In addition to these outstanding achievements, The Northern Irishman also spent 104 weeks as the number one in the official World Golf Ranking. Nevertheless, McIlroy has been left impressed by Scheffler’s performances.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a golfer play as many bogey-free rounds as Scottie,” McIlroy said. “He just doesn’t make mistakes. It’s so impressive.”
McIlroy vs Scheffler: Early Favorite at Pebble Beach
Current Odds For Outright Win
Scottie Scheffler +400
Rory McIlroy +1200
Justin Thomas +1400
Collin Morikawa +1400
Patrick Cantlay +1800
Both Scheffler and McIlroy will compete at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The American is the overwhelming pre-tournament favorite despite McIlroy’s solid displays at the Dubai Desert Classic. Scheffler has been in better form recently, dominating the PGA Tour and recording impressive wins while McIlroy has recorded four consecutive top-25 finishes, including a T4 at the Dubai Dessert Classic, but he is yet to secure a victory in 2025.
The stage is set for an epic battle between two of the world’s top golfers. Will Scottie Scheffler’s dominance continue, or will McIlroy regain his form and take the top spot? The golf world will be watching closely as these two giants clash at Pebble Beach.
Main photo credit:
© Michael Madrid-Imagn Images
