The two best golfers in the world locked horns this year on various courses in the United States and the U.K. Rory McIlroy dominated the first quarter of the year as he grabbed three wins in six events. Scottie Scheffler needed some time to pick up the pace. But once he did, there was no stopping the world #1 as he won six times in a span of twelve events. Their records might tell a different story, but the magnitude of impact each of them had on the fairway this season is unmatched.

As they go head-to-head once again to determine who will take home the Player of the Year award, we’re here to determine who truly deserves it. So let’s take a deep dive into each of their seasons to analyze that.

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The unstoppable Scottie Scheffler

If it wasn’t for the ravioli-inflicted injury, Scottie Scheffler would have kicked off 2025 right where he left 2024. The world #1 was absolutely unstoppable last season. And after he found his rhythm again this season, he became unstoppable again in 2025 as well. All he needed was to go back to his hometown to play some golf.

Scheffler’s first win of the season finally came at TPC Craig Ranch. The course is one of the closest PGA Tour venues to his home. So he received a loud welcome and a lot of support there. That was enough to motivate him to finally grab a win. From there, he went on to capture the Wanamaker trophy a couple of weeks later.

That was only the beginning of Scheffler’s domination. He didn’t finish below T8 in any tournament he played after that. Mr. Inevitable inevitably won four more titles throughout the year, which included The Open Championship.

The 29-year-old has also gotten close to a mammoth career record. He had already won the Green Jacket twice. After capturing the Claret Jug and winning the PGA Championship earlier in the year, he has come close to becoming a Grand Slam champion. All he needs now is to win the U.S. Open to become the seventh player in history to achieve the feat.

He could have been the sixth, but one man beat him to the record. And that might probably be the reason he could lose the 2025 Player of the Year award. That’s because of Rory McIlroy’s amazing feats in 2025.

The legacy of Rory McIlroy

Before kicking off the 2025 season, Rory McIlroy had set his eyes on three goals. He wanted to win an Olympic medal, he wanted to become a Grand Slam champion, and he wanted to win an away Ryder Cup. One of his goals was not achievable in 2025. But he made sure two of them came true this season itself.

What the Irishman produced at Augusta National was purely magical. He had shown glimpses of being in sublime form at Pebble Beach and TPC Sawgrass. But his determination in Georgia was something fans hadn’t witnessed from him on the legendary golf course.

By no means was McIlroy flawless. In fact, he scored four double bogeys in the four days of the Masters Tournament. But at no point did he seem to lose control. And when he and Justin Rose were pushed into the playoff, McIlroy remained calm. He controlled his shots and ensured he made the final putt before letting himself go.

The Career Grand Slam was the biggest achievement of the year for the Irishman. But that was not the end of the story for him. He went on to join Team Europe at Bethpage for the Ryder Cup.

It was one of the most challenging battles of his career. While he had to fight himself to win at Augusta National, in New York, McIlroy & Co. had to fight an entire country to come out on top.

They faced constant abuse from the spectators attending the course. His wife, Erica Stoll, had beer thrown over her by the crowd. One of the announcers, Heather Graham, encouraged the fans on the first tee to start an abusive chant against McIlroy. Admit all this, he and the team had to implement their game plan to beat Scheffler & Co. on their home soil.

That’s exactly what they did. Team Europe dominated Team U.S. on the Friday and Saturday of the 2025 Ryder Cup. That was enough for them to team the win, despite a fightback from the Americans in the Sunday singles. That helped McIlroy complete two of his three goals for the future within a span of nine months.

Of course, his wins at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, The PLAYERS Championship, and the Irish Open cannot be discredited as well. The 18th hole eagle to push the Irish Open into a playoff and claim victory showed the fighting spirit of Rory McIlroy.

The conclusion

Yes, Scottie Scheffler has won more titles, no doubt about it. Winning two majors in a year is no easy feat. But the world #1 just makes it look that simple. Especially doing it on American soil and then going to a links course and replicating a similar result. He is certainly one of a kind.

But what Rory McIlroy achieved this year was certainly a lot more challenging. It took him 11 years to finally win another major. That’s how long it took him to finally complete his Career Grand Slam. The level of anxiety he must have felt is unimaginable. Especially after he fumbled the 2011 Masters Tournament.

The feat he achieved was last overcome by Tiger Woods in July 2000. Moreover, he had also consulted with Jack Nicklaus on how to play on Augusta National to finally overcome the curse. So the Irishman also had the pressure of reaching the same milestone as two of his idols on his shoulders. Failure was not an option for him.

Apart from that, McIlroy & Team Europe’s win at Bethpage also gives him a big edge over what Scheffler has achieved individually. It shows that while the world #1 can perform individually, his rival can adapt in a more diverse format while collaborating with others.

Hence, Rory McIlroy deserves to win the Player of the Year title more than Scottie Scheffler in 2025.