Scheffler, McIlroy Enter PGA Championship as No. 1 and No. 2 Eye First Major Sunday Duel
Updated
Updated · Yahoo Sports · May 13
Scheffler, McIlroy Enter PGA Championship as No. 1 and No. 2 Eye First Major Sunday Duel
15 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · May 13
Aronimink opens Thursday with Rory McIlroy teeing off at 8:40 a.m. and Scottie Scheffler at 2:05 p.m., setting up the latest chance for golf’s top two players to finally meet in a major final-round fight.
Seventeen majors since 2022 have produced only seven events where both finished in the top 10, even though they have combined to win four of the last five majors.
The near-misses are striking: McIlroy won the 2025 and 2026 Masters with Scheffler close behind, while Scheffler took the 2025 PGA and Open when McIlroy was never seriously in contention.
The matchup still looks plausible this week because McIlroy and Scheffler rank first and third in scoring average, first and second in birdie average, and first and fourth in strokes gained.
World rankings underline the gap: McIlroy sits No. 2 well clear of No. 3 Cameron Young, while Scheffler’s lead over McIlroy is roughly as large as McIlroy’s edge over No. 30 Patrick Cantlay.
Despite years of dominance, golf’s top two have never had a final-round major duel. Is this finally the week?
With conflicting views on Aronimink, will power or precision ultimately conquer the course and its famously treacherous greens?