Rory McIlroy admitted he has nothing but admiration for Scottie Scheffler after the World No1 further enhanced his status in the record books with a dominant victory at the Open.
Scheffler cruised to a stress-free four-shot victory at Royal Portrush on Sunday to claim his fourth career major and second of the year after his triumph at the US PGA Championship in May.
The American has now won three of golf’s four majors and is just one short of McIlroy’s career tally despite being seven years younger than the Northern Irishman.
And McIlroy conceded that Scheffler’s victories only serve to reinforce his status as the game’s best most prestigous talent.
‘None of us could hang with Scottie this week,’ McIlroy refelcted after his final-round 69 which saw him finish T7 in front of a frenzied home crowd.
‘He’s an incredible player. He’s been dominant this week. Honestly, he’s been dominant for the last couple years. He is the bar that we’re all trying to get to.
‘In a historical context, you could argue that there’s only maybe two or three players in the history of the game that have been on a run, the one that Scottie’s been on here for the last 24 to 36 months. Incredibly impressive.
‘He’s a very worthy winner. Also, he’s a great person, and I think he’s a wonderful ambassador for our game as well. I’m really happy for him and Meredith and his family.’
Asked how it feels to watch Scheffler in his current form, McIlroy added: ‘I think all you can do is admire what he does and how he does it.
‘I think what he does is one thing, but how he does it is another. He just goes about his business, doesn’t do anything overly flamboyant, but he’s the best at executing in the game right now.
‘He’s been absolutely amazing over these past two to three years. As I said, all you can do is tip your cap and watch in admiration.’
Scheffler pushes back against Tiger Woods comparisons
Scheffler’s level of dominance in recent years has rightly evoked comparisons with Tiger Woods, who has 82 PGA Tour victories, 15 of those majors, to his name.
However, the current World No1 was quick to reject any comparison between himself and his childhood inspiration.
‘I still think they’re a bit silly. Tiger won, what, 15 majors? This is my fourth. I just got one-fourth of the way there,’ Scheffler said.
‘I think Tiger stands alone in the game of golf. He was inspirational for me growing up. He was a very, very talented guy, and he was a special person to be able to be as good as he was at the game of golf.
‘I don’t focus on that kind of stuff. That’s not what motivates me. I’m not motivated by winning championships.
‘I don’t look at the beginning of the year and just say, hey, I want to win X amount of tournaments, I want to win whatever it is. I don’t do that.
‘I have dreams and aspirations that I think about, but at the end of the day, when I wake up to practise, I feel like what motivates me is just getting out and getting to live out my dream. I get to play professional golf, and I feel like I’m called to do it to the best of my ability.’
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