Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler at odds over PGA Tour rule as FedEx Cup play-offs loom

The PGA Tour's play-offs have sparked a difference of opinion between Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler has been the standout golfer on the PGA tour this year. Despite his six victories in 2024, as the world No 1, he only gains a shots-based advantage in the three tournaments that determine the Tour champion.

After the St. Jude Championship this weekend, the top 50 in the FedEx Cup points standings will progress to next week's BMW Championship. This number will then be reduced to 30 for the final Tour Championship, reports the Mirror .

With a total of 5,993 points, Scheffler is almost 2,000 points ahead of his nearest competitor, Xander Schauffele, who has 4,057 points. He also has more than double McIlroy's 2,545 points. However, they still have an opportunity to catch up with him on the course, with the ultimate winner of the FedEx Cup season taking home the trophy.

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Despite his dominance, Scheffler isn't pleased with how the winner is determined. "I talked about it the last few years. I think it's silly," he stated. "You can't call it a season-long race and have it come down to one tournament. Hypothetically, we get to East Lake (host of the Tour Championship) and my neck flares up and it doesn't heal the way it did at The Players.

"I finish 30th in the FedExCup because I had to withdraw from the last tournament, is that really the season-long race? No. It's a fun tournament. I don't really consider it the season-long race like I think the way it's called. But you've got to figure out a way to strike a balance between it being a good TV product and it still being a season-long race.

"Right now, I don't know exactly how the ratings are or anything like that, but I know for a fact you can't really quite call it the season-long race when it comes down to one stroke-play tournament on the same golf course each year."

Scheffler, eyeing up the Tour Championship where he will begin on 10 under par and ahead of his rivals, expressed his frustration with the current FedEx Cup format not truly reflecting a season-long competition: "I finish 30th in the FedExCup because I had to withdraw from the last tournament, is that really the season-long race? No. It's a fun tournament. I don't really consider it the season-long race like I think the way it's called. But you've got to figure out a way to strike a balance between it being a good TV product and it still being a season-long race."

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The top golfer also critiqued the system by highlighting its focus on a single event: "Right now, I don't know exactly how the ratings are or anything like that, but I know for a fact you can't really quite call it the season-long race when it comes down to one stroke-play tournament on the same golf course each year."

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Despite his lack of triumph in recent years, with a throwaway six-stroke lead last year and falling far behind Viktor Hovland, Scheffler notes the fortune at stake, close to his own record-breaking earnings of more than $28 million this year. In contrast, McIlroy sees merit in the current system, favoring the excitement it brings to both players and fans: "I love this format because if it wasn't this format, then none of us would have a chance against Scottie because he's so far ahead," he stated.

"So I really like this format. I think it makes the Tour Championship more exciting from a consumer standpoint. Is it the fairest reflection of who's been the best player of the year? Probably not. But I think at this point we're not in for totally fair; we're in for entertainment and for trying to put on the best product we possibly can."

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