Only a select group of golfers has ever made complete dominance look like a routine. First, it was Jack Nicklaus, who did it through an unmatched combination of major-championship excellence. Then came Tiger Woods, who took that dominance to another level. He created such a vast separation from his rivals that the only place they could compete was for second. Now, Scottie Scheffler has joined him in that aspect.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
After his St. Jude Championship, the 30-year-old pro has an average of 17.6954 points on the OWGR system. Meanwhile, World No. 2 Rory McIlroy has an average of 8.7634 points, less than half of Scheffler’s. But that gap in average points doesn’t change the respect the World No. 1 has for McIlroy.
“Well, he’s competed at a high level for such a long time. Rory’s a guy that when you look at when he won his first tournament to where he is now, he’s a guy that’s just been one of the best players in the world and sustained it for a really, really long time,” Scottie Scheffler said of McIlroy ahead of the 2026 BMW Championship. “He’s definitely a guy that I look up to in a sense just because of how long he’s been able to do it for. It’s quite impressive.”
It’s a battle between longevity and consistency. McIlroy turned pro in 2007 and won his first DP World Tour event in 2009. In contrast, Scheffler turned pro in 2018 and registered his first win in 2022. That shows that the 30-year-old American pro may have shown superiority in recent years, but the Northern Irishman has maintained his elite status for much longer. And that’s what he has focused on.
When McIlroy spoke to the reporters at Yas Links ahead of the 2025 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship about his reduced schedule and plans for 2026, he clearly leaned toward longevity. Citing Justin Rose as an example, the career Grand Slam winner said he wants to continue playing competitive golf for as long as possible. That’s why he wants to focus more on majors and play fewer regular events to give his body ample rest.
Scheffler hasn’t yet built McIlroy’s longevity track record, but his consistency since 2023 is undeniable. It has helped widen the OWGR ranking gap between him and the World No. 2, and Scheffler is admittedly proud of that.
Let’s understand where Scheffler is coming from. Across the 18 starts this season, he has one missed cut (his first in nearly four years), two wins (fewer than in 2024 and 2025), and five runner-up finishes. What’s more, Scheffler registered his second win after a seven-month drought since the 2026 American Express. Despite these hindrances, he ranks No. 1 in the FedExCup rankings and is in strong contention for the Player of the Year Award.
Let’s look at McIlroy’s season now. He defended his Masters title and didn’t miss any cuts throughout the season. Yet, his consistency has been very poor this season. Of his 12 starts in 2026, he posted top-10 finishes only four times. He was outside the top 25 in five events.
The numbers clearly reveal the reason why the world ranking gap between Scheffler and McIlroy is widening.