Paul McGinley has never been afraid to speak bluntly about Rory McIlroy. And ahead of the Ryder Cup next week, the 2014 winning European captain has done it again. When asked about the Northern Irishman’s chances of returning to the top of the leaderboard — he is number 2nd — McGinely quite clearly put his views forth: it might not happen. Well, that was quite clear. But why does he say so? It’s definitely not because McIlroy lacks brilliance; only a few players can touch him at his peak. But it’s actually because he doesn’t have the same ‘consistency’ as this other player: You don’t even have to guess who, of course, it is Scottie Scheffler.
“I don’t know if Rory will ever lead the world rankings again because he doesn’t have the consistency Scottie has,” McGinley admitted. This single line cuts to the heart and might bring McGinley some backlash that he keeps getting now and then. Fans might point to McIlory’s four-tournament wins in 2025, including his long-awaited Masters breakthrough, and a popular home triumph at the Irish Open earlier this month. But look, for every high, there’s been a low: he missed the Canadian Open cut by 12 shots, he struggled for stretches in regular PGA Tour events, missing the St. Jude FedEx Cup, and then very recently finished at T20 at the BMW PGA Championship.
Scottie Scheffler, meanwhile, has been a metronome. Six wins this year, including two majors, and a staggering run of 15 consecutive top-eight finishes. So in that regard, McGinley’s assessment is simple. Scheffler “plays by percentage”, stays within himself, and posts results after results. McIlroy, by contrast, is “charismatic, dynamic, a risk taker,” but that volatility is also what keeps him from staying on top of the rankings. “It is no surprise Scheffler is leading the world rankings and will do,” McGinely says.
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But here is the thing. It’s not like McIlroy is not aware of all of this. He has been remarkably honest about this reality, admitting that he’s not built to grind through every single event on the calendar. “It’s the week-in, week-out stuff that I have found a bit of a struggle at times,” McIlroy told The Guardian recently. “The majors and the Ryder Cup are the five things in golf that at this point really matter to me.”
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McGinely, who is serving as a strategic adviser to Luke Donald‘s European team, sees another side to this. During the two-day reconnaissance trip to Bethpage, he said McIlroy thrived in the team environment, freed from “megastar” glare. “No one was drawing on his time, he was just around the guys and in the middle of all the lads, and you could see how much he enjoyed being in that environment.” This shift in priorities explains a lot about the gap between his peaks and his lulls.
Last season, Rory McIlroy announced that he was done with the slog of playing every possible event. “I am not getting any younger.” His schedule has since reflected that. He skipped signature PGA Tour events this year, focused on tournaments that mattered personally to him. In fact, he recently said, “I’m going to play where I want to play.” It’s a selective approach that makes sense for a 36-year-old who wants to balance golf with family life.
That’s the trade-off. Scheffler racks up top finishes by teeing it up nearly everywhere. Partly because he can, as most of the PGA Tournaments take place in North America. McIlory chooses his spots and lives with the streakiness that follows. And although he may not have Scheffler’s machine-like form, he’s still pushing for other milestones, one of which he will try to achieve in the coming week.
McIlroy knows his career is in its final decade at the very top. He knows his window isn’t endless. And he knows people won’t remember how many FedExCup points he racked up in Memphis or how many cheques he cashed at K Club. What they’ll remember is Augusta 2025, the Ryder Cup in New York, and whether Europe pulled off the away win that has eluded them for over a decade.
That’s the Rory paradox. And while he will be chasing consistency, and Scheffler will build on his steadiness, both stars will have to adjust their lens at Bethpage.
McIlroy and Scheffler must trade ego for team spirit
The Ryder Cup does not reward individual brilliance the way the PGA Tour or majors do. It demands buying into collective identity, when you are used to being the starlight in every locker room you enter.
That is exactly what Jose Maria Olazabal warned Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler about. The Spanish legend reminded the players that the Ryder Cup is not about personal goals, but rather putting “your teammates, family, friends, [and] people that you don’t know” first. Leaving egos aside might be the toughest battle they will face all week. “If you do all that right, the Ryder Cup builds relationships that will last a lifetime.” This comes after McIlroy gave a blunt reply about Bryson DeChambeau.
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Luke Donald also doubled down on this message, praising McIlroy’s ability to indulge himself completely among his fellow team players. “[Rory] doesn’t want to be looked up at. He wants to look side by side with these guys…wants to share his knowledge. He is, very much, a team person first.”
Now, only time will tell how these two players navigate these hurdles presented before them.