Rory McIlroy is still very much in pursuit mode. In 2025, he won the Masters, added multiple PGA Tour victories, and remained a constant presence near the top of leaderboards. The motivation hasn’t softened, especially when the benchmark is Scottie Scheffler.

That came through during a recent appearance on The Fried Egg Golf Podcast, when McIlroy was asked about preparing for an upcoming made-for-TV showdown. Instead of leaning into technical talk, he answered with a grin.

 “Practice entails just trying to put Scottie Scheffler off, I think, at this point. Probably the only way you can beat him.”

The joke landed because of the reality behind it. Scottie Scheffler had just finished a dominant 2025 season, winning six times, including two majors: the PGA Championship and The Open, while claiming his fourth consecutive PGA Tour Player of the Year award, edging Rory McIlroy from the race (2nd position).

The two will square off days later as captains at the Optum Golf Channel Games on Dec 17.

Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler Explain

Speaking to the Associated Press ahead of the event’s debut at Trump National in West Palm Beach, Rory McIlroy put forth the Optum Golf Channel as a modern take on Golf's Offseason.

 “Just the opportunity to showcase our game in a different way,” McIlroy said

The Optum Golf Channel Games are a 4-on-4 team showdown built to showcase elite golf in a faster, more experimental setting, with Rory McIlroy facing off against Scottie Scheffler.

The competition spans five challenges, long drive, short game, a timed team relay, a 14-club challenge, and a captain’s duel, with the opening events run entirely on the clock to push players out of their comfort zones.

“I think it’s going to be a fun way to compete at the end of the year,” Scheffler said, “in a time where there’s not a ton of stuff on the golf calendar.”

Whatever the outcome, the season will close with one more look at the sport’s defining matchup of 2025, Rory McIlroy vs Scottie Scheffler, sharing the stage.

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu