Scottie Scheffler v Rory McIlroy: Which of the world top two has had the better year?

There is no debate that Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are the top two players in world golf, and it’s not even close.

The gulf between the top two and the rest is substantial, and similar in many ways to the days of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson dominating the scene in their primes.

The 2025 statistics for Scheffler and McIlroy are astounding. They have combined for 10 wins, including three majors, as well as a further 17 top-10 finishes between them.

But which of them can claim to have had the better year?

Let’s start with the case for Scheffler, who has spent the last 124 weeks as world No 1. We haven’t seen a streak like that since Tiger, and it’s a status he’s unlikely to lose anytime soon.

The easy-going American actually had a slow start to the year, by his standards. And when he finished in a tie for 20th at The Players Championship (won by McIlroy), it prompted a few ill-advised predictions for how his campaign would pan out.

Most notably was a social media post from Mickelson, who wrote: “Here’s a hot take. Does Scottie win in 2025 before the Ryder Cup? I don’t think so.”

Scheffler responded with top-10s in his next three starts before trolling Mickelson with victory at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May. That would open the floodgates for one of the best seasons in PGA Tour history.

The 29-year-old treated Quail Hollow with distain as he cruised to a five-shot win at the PGA Championship, and he would go on to lift more silverware on a monthly basis.

A four-shot victory at The Memorial was followed by another major success at Royal Portrush in July, leaving him a US Open away from joining the career Grand Slam club.

Scheffler then claimed the BMW Championship title and warmed up for the Ryder Cup by edging out US team-mate Ben Griffin at the Procore Championship.

He has not finished lower than 8th in his 15 starts since Mickelson’s infamous “hot take”, and at the time of writing, he has six wins and 11 top-10s in 20 tournaments played in 2025.

Statistically, he is ahead of McIlroy in the Player of the Year conversation, but it could be argued that two specific achievements tilt the odds in the Northern Irishman’s favour.

McIlroy took a 3-0 lead in the annual trophy count by mid-April. He won at Pebble Beach and Sawgrass, but the third ‘W’ was the most significant.

After a decade of frustration, heartbreak and mounting pressure, McIlroy finally ended his search for golf’s Holy Grail, winning the Masters in his 17th appearance at Augusta National to complete his career Grand Slam of majors.

That’s an elite achievement that only five players had managed in the modern era. To have your name etched in history alongside Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods? Mere mortals can’t even begin to imagine how that must feel.

Once the dust had settled on his monumental Masters triumph, golf fans with varying levels of expertise expected McIlroy to win at will for the remainder of the year.

Unfortunately, his form - and mood - dipped in mid-summer, although he did regroup in July with a runner-up finish at the Scottish Open and a tie for 7th on home soil at Portrush, although he was a distant 7 shots adrift of Scheffler.

But, with the majority of his focus on the Ryder Cup, he returned to Ireland and clinched his second Irish Open win at The K Club, where his 30-foot putt for eagle to force a playoff was one of the outstanding moments of the year.

So there's no doubt that Scheffler had the edge when we pitched up at Bethpage Black for the 45th edition of the biennial dust-up between holders Europe and favourites USA.

And this is where the case for McIlroy gained huge ground. He was unbeaten for two days in New York, with three wins and one tied match, while Scheffler became the first American since 1979 to lose in all of the first four sessions.

Fate dictated that the world’s top two would be drawn to face each other in Sunday’s singles, and it was like watching two battle-weary boxers slugging it out in round 12.

Energy levels were low for both, and the quality of their clash was lower than anybody expected. And, at the end, it was Scheffler who was the last man standing.

But the damage done by McIlroy on Friday and Saturday was pivotal in Europe retaining the trophy with a 15-13 victory. Scheffler may have won the Sunday battle, but McIlroy and co had won the war.

Yes, Scheffler is the undisputed best player on the planet right now, and he’s posting records not seen since the dominant era of Woods.

But, for me, McIlroy’s Masters win and his performance in the face of some vile hostility at the Ryder Cup means he has had a better 2025 than his rival.

In his own words, it has been the best year of his career. Scheffler may be on top in the overall statistics, but hey - numbers ain’t everything!