Rory McIlroy Jokes 'We're All F'd' If Scottie Scheffler Plays His Best at PGA Tour Championship

Scottie Scheffler has had a down season in 2026, but he provided a reminder last week that nobody on the PGA Tour can touch him when he's at his best.

Rory McIlroy acknowledged as much ahead of the BMW Championship. The six-time major winner maintained that Scheffler has been the player of the year for the tour.

"I firsthand watched him for the first two days last week, and if he keeps playing like that, [and] if he gains nine strokes on the greens every week, we're all f'd," McIlroy said, per ESPN's Mark Schlabach.

Scheffler won the FedEx St. Jude Championship by eight shots. McIlroy had a front-row seat to watch him card a nine-under 61 in the second round. From there, he cruised in the final two rounds.

"I talk a lot about how hard it is and difficult it is to win out here on tour," Scheffler said. "The best way to win tournaments is to give yourself as many opportunities as you can. So, that is nice for me to have some numbers where I'm giving myself opportunities to win. I think that's most important. Hopefully, I'll be able to continue to do that going forward."

Fans had been waiting to see this version of him basically all year. He won The American Express in January and then failed to notch another victory until last week.

The 30-year-old kept knocking on the door — 12 top-five finishes and five runner-up showings — but couldn't seal the deal.

Golf is a fickle sport from week to week and even from round to round. The biggest stars in the sport can be lights out in one tournament and then struggle to make the cut in their next outing.

After so many close calls, lifting another trophy might've taken a weight off Scheffler's shoulders. He's certainly the favorite for the second leg of the PGA Tour playoffs.

Scheffler will get his tournament underway Thursday at 2:33 p.m. ET.