Who’s better: Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy? That’s what one Golfing Gazette writer asked on X, and South Korean pro Byeong Hun An has a well-voiced opinion on the matter.

“Rory is one of the GOATs. Scottie is the best player by far in the last 4 years,” Hun An noted. None of us can deny the indelible impact both golfers have had on revolutionizing golf. The European star, who finished his career grand slam this year, comes among the top headline golfers of all time, alongside legends like Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. However, in recent years, Scheffler has been impossible to compare against.

Acknowledging this interesting dynamic between the two golfers, An’s statements only make sense. But this is not the first time Byeong Hun An has found himself lauding the Scottie. After #1 grabbed his 9th victory of the 2024 at the Hero World Challenge, An posted on X: “I don’t care what anyone says, Scottie this season was as good as one of Tiger’s best seasons on Tour.”

Vying for and retaining the World No. 1 position, Scheffler has climbed the ranks faster than any golfer can even dream of. In fact, Scottie Scheffler is often compared with Tiger Woods, although his unconventional playing style looks to be a spitting image of Nicklaus’.

Briefly gaining the No. 1 spot in 2021, Scheffler returned to the position in 2023, with over 159 weeks in his current streak. Moreover, he has retained the Player of the Year honors since 2022, winning thrice. Guess who’s the only player sharing the record alongside Scheffler? It’s Rory McIlroy, except for Woods. However, since 2021, Scottie Scheffler has gained a slight statistical advantage over McIlroy. Scottie has secured 19 titles within that time frame, while the Irishman secured only 16. Moreover, with just 150 starts over McIlroy’s 273, Scheffler is already edging close to his career earnings at nearly $100 million.

The 29-year-old has a total of 19 PGA Tour titles and 4 majors since turning pro in 2018. This year alone, Scheffler has carded 6 wins and 17 top-10 finishes. Matching Tiger Woods, the American also boasts two Players Championship titles. He leads in FedExCup points with 7,456, edging out all his peers.

Rory McIlroy is an incredible player in his own right. With 29 titles across the Tour and the DPWT and 5 majors, in the long run, McIlroy’s stats look better than Scheffler’s. Irishman commands the ranks when it comes to driving distance at No. 2 with an average of 323 yards. This is much better than Scheffler, who sits at 53rd with an average of 308 yards. However, Scheffler has a more well-rounded approach to golf, leading in most other Tour stats. Scheffler leads the leaderboard in Strokes Gained: Total and Strokes Gained: Approach The Green. Moreover, with a scoring low of 68.131, he is the best on the Tour.

While An acknowledged the nuanced divide in the games of these guys, this is not the first time they have competed against each other for the ‘GOAT’ honors.

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Scottie Scheffler vs Rory McIlroy debate in the golfing world

One golf insider, Ben Boscovich, went down a different road. Instead of directly comparing their stats head-to-head, he emphasized their influence on the audience.

“I do think what I took away from this season with Scottie is that he’s achieved what no one else has. Even Rory, you rank him second in the post-Tiger era…I would firmly put Scottie in that place just because of the expectation that he brings. When Rory shows up to a tournament, you don’t expect him to win. You hope he wins. You have a rooting interest for Rory for a good reason because of who he is. It’s like – can anybody catch him, is the question,” he quipped on the Dan on Golf podcast, explaining why Scheffler contends better than McIlroy.

Jack Nicklaus has a more articulated view on the matter. He has likened himself more to Scottie Scheffler and his playing style. Revealing Rory McIlroy’s gaps in his play, like the right-to-left ball deflection, Nicklaus also shared the differences in their games. While he admires both, he clearly has a preference for Scheffler, as he put it, “Scottie has had it pretty much to himself for the last three or four years and he’s an awfully good player.”

Padraig Harrington also seems to favor Scheffler, comparing him to Tiger Woods. “He’s a bit like Tiger was from 2001 to 2005. He’s not like the Tiger of 2000 or earlier, who was swashbuckling, taking on every pin and hitting outrageous shots. Scottie is just relentless,” he added.