Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are two great rivals at the top of golf, but the PGA Tour stars – who have won two of the last three Tour Championships – both appreciate one another’s game

Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler battle for titles atop the world rankings(Image: Getty Images)

Scottie Scheffler greatly respects Rory McIlroy and talked highly of the Northern Irishman at the 2024 Tour Championship.

While the Ryder Cup is on the horizon for the top stars in golf, the Tour Championship is in full swing. World No. 1 Scheffler is the favorite after winning the BMW Championship last week, maintaining his elite form that has seen him dominate golf for the last few years.

Scheffler won the Tour Championship in 2024 and seeks to defend his crown. He beat out Collin Morikawa to emerge victorious and is eyeing a second title this weekend as Scheffler enters the tournament in scintillating form.

Meanwhile, McIlroy is a three-time Tour Championship winner. McIlroy has won the title three times in his career, in 2016, 2019, and 2022.

Back in 2022, McIlroy and Scheffler were duelling for the victory when the five-time major champion broke through to win the title and claim the mammoth prize pot. Scheffler was asked about his rival’s win after everything McIlroy has done for the PGA Tour since the rise of LIV Golf.

“Like I said, tip of the cap to Rory,” Scheffler told reporters. “He played a really good round of golf. A really solid four days here.

“I don’t know exactly what he started the week off, but I’m sure he was pretty close to winning the tournament individually, as well. Tip of the cap to him. He played a great round of golf today and played good enough to win.”

When asked if he thinks about the money when competing in the Tour Championship due to the big prize pot, Scheffler said: “Yeah, the money is great, obviously. Playing professional golf for a living is such a gift. For me, I don’t play golf for money. I play to win tournaments and I play to have fun and do my best and see where the game can take me.

Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler have both won the Tour Championship in the last few years(Image: Getty Images)

“Today the money definitely didn’t creep into my mind. I wanted to win the season-long title. I’ve had a really great year and I wanted to finish it off with a win here, and unfortunately I wasn’t able to do that. But at the end of the day, it’s such a gift to be out here playing golf for money, and I can’t- I’m just so thankful to be out here.”

Ahead of the 2025 Tour Championship at East Lake, both McIlroy and Scheffler have praised the impending arrival of Brian Rolapp, who is set to replace Jay Monahan as PGA Tour commissioner for 2026. The 36-year-old expressed overwhelming confidence in the appointment.

“I like him. I like him a lot,” McIlroy declared. “I like that he doesn’t come from golf. I like that he doesn’t have any preconceived ideas of what golf should look like or what the Tour should look like. I think he’s going to bring a fresh perspective to everything, and I think he wants to move pretty quick, so I’m excited.”

Scheffler echoed McIlroy’s comments, adding: “I think our board and Jay and everybody put a lot of research into finding his successor, and to be able to get somebody from the NFL, especially somebody high up at the NFL, I think is pretty cool. The NFL is obviously a very successful organization. He’s got a lot of experience and some new thought processes he can bring to the Tour, and I think it’s exciting.”

The Tour Championship takes place at East Lake from Aug. 21-24.