Just two months ago, Rory McIlroy was unequivocally golf’s player of the year. He won two Tour events, and became a Grand Slam winner, and was said to be aiming for all four majors. Today, he’s watching Scottie Scheffler rewrite the rulebook on sustained excellence. We all are actually! However, the latest episode of the 5 Clubs podcast revealed just how dramatically this narrative has shifted. Now, golf’s biggest voices are having very different conversations about the hierarchy for 2025, and rightfully so.
Host Gary Williams and guest Taylor Zarzour delivered a sobering assessment during Tuesday’s show. They declared that Scheffler has overtaken McIlroy as the dominant force in golf. Moreover, their analysis suggested something even more significant was happening. “We left the Masters and we said Rory McIlroy unequivocally is the player of the year in golf,” Zarzour noted. “And all of a sudden we’re getting ready for the US Open and he isn’t.”
The podcast breakdown highlighted Scheffler’s relentless consistency since the Masters at Augusta. Taylor Zarzour emphasized the historical significance of this run. Furthermore, he painted McIlroy’s current situation in stark terms. The experts pointed to Scheffler’s three wins and T4 and T8 finishes in five starts since the Masters. Meanwhile, McIlroy managed just one top-10 finish, at the Truist Championship, during that stretch, having played just 2 events.
Zarzour’s most revealing observation concerned the upcoming U.S. Open odds. “He is more than double the favorite and justifiably so,” he declared about Scheffler. Indeed, betting markets support this assessment, with Scheffler at odds of +260 to +470. Conversely, McIlroy trails significantly at +550 to +1000 despite his Masters triumph.
The podcast hosts also addressed McIlroy’s puzzling media silence on all four days of the PGA Championship, and since then, too. Additionally, the controversy surrounding the TaylorMade driver issue added further intrigue. Subsequently, his withdrawal from the Memorial Tournament, without even a courtesy call to the 18-time major winner, only intensified speculation about his mindset.
Williams and Zarzour emphasized Scheffler’s unique damage-control abilities throughout their discussion. “His 73s are 71s and that gives him something that other players are incapable of doing,” they observed. This skill proved crucial during his Memorial defense and PGA Championship victory. Furthermore, his 69.52% scrambling percentage ranks third on tour this season.
How Scottie Scheffler’s dominance compares to Tiger Woods and golf’s greatest runs
History provides context for Scheffler’s remarkable achievement. Tiger Woods dominated from 1999-2002 with 38 wins and seven majors. Similarly, Tom Watson dominated the late 1970s and early 1980s with eight major victories. However, neither Phil Mickelson nor Dustin Johnson ever sustained five-win seasons consistently.
Scheffler’s current pace suggests a historically significant year ahead. His $13.6 million in earnings already surpasses that of all other players. Additionally, his 68.796 scoring average tops the Tour. These numbers mirror Woods’s peak statistical dominance from two decades ago.
The podcast analysis revealed Scheffler’s unique position in modern golf. “In the last 40 plus years other than Tiger Woods no one has had a run like this,” Zarzou observed. Indeed, even Brooks Koepka‘s five majors never featured consistent week-to-week excellence. Scheffler delivers an elite performance regardless of the tournament’s prestige.
This consistency separates Scheffler from his contemporaries entirely. While others chase form, he maintains it effortlessly. His approach shot statistics led the tour at +1.235 strokes gained. Meanwhile, his total strokes gained (+2.596) demonstrates complete game mastery.
The U.S. Open arrives with Scheffler as golf’s undisputed alpha. Conversely, McIlroy faces questions about both form and focus. This dramatic role reversal happened within eight weeks of the Masters. Sometimes greatness demands sustained excellence rather than momentary brilliance. Currently, only one player consistently delivers that level of performance.
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