Scottie Scheffler weighed in on Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau’s recent rivalry, and it’s safe to say he isn’t a fan of it.
The beef between the two players added another chapter at this year’s Open Championship. When DeChambeau was given a two-shot penalty for improving his lie, he argued with rules officials into the evening, which McIlroy called “performative”.
McIlroy said, “I’m not particularly fond of him”, when talking about DeChambeau, and that’s an understatement. The pair have been locked in a feud for years now, which started around the time DeChambeau joined LIV Golf.
Scheffler wasn’t happy about McIlroy’s comments at The Open. The world number one said, “I’ve never been a big fan of personal jabs,” and claimed that rivalries aren’t really a thing in golf because you can’t defend against what your opponent is doing.
But Scheffler’s comments don’t reflect golf’s history. Golf has been blessed with some of the best rivalries in sports history, and here, we’re looking at the top five.
5. Nick Faldo vs. Greg Norman
In the 80s and 90s, Sir Nick Faldo and Greg Norman spent years battling over the world number one spot, in a rivalry that features one of the biggest collapses in major championship history.
Faldo was a frosty character on the golf course. He’d shut himself into his own world, solely focused on the task at hand. The Englishman was notoriously cold, robotic, and unshakeable under pressure.
Meanwhile, Norman was the total opposite. He was charismatic and exuberant, charming and emotional. The contrast between the two best players on the planet produced one of the most iconic Sunday rounds the sport has seen.
At the 1996 Masters, Norman took a six-shot lead into the final round at Augusta. But Faldo’s flawless, clinical 67 was enough to spook Norman into a seismic collapse.
There was never much animosity between these two, but there was certainly a rivalry.
4. Jack Nicklaus vs. Tom Watson
Jack Nicklaus was the undisputed best player of his generation, and that put a target on his back. Many tried to knock Nicklaus off the top spot over the years, but no one had more success in doing so than Tom Watson.
At the 1977 Open Championship at Turnberry, Watson and Nicklaus were the class of the field. This meant Sunday saw these two greats go head-to-head in one of the greatest shot-making displays in golf’s history.
Watson got the better of Nicklaus that day by one stroke, in a battle that is now remembered as the “Duel in the Sun”. But he wasn’t done there.
At the 1982 US Open at Pebble Beach, Watson famously chipped in on the 17th hole to deny Nicklaus a record fifth US Open title.
These victories earned Watson a legacy of being the sternest test Nicklaus faced in his prime.
3. Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson
Tiger Woods’ rivalry with Phil Mickelson was one of the greatest golf has seen, between two giants of the game.
For two decades, Woods and Mickelson were the undisputed heavyweights of the PGA Tour. Woods was the ultimate prodigy, an athletic phenom who intimidated opponents and dominated the game with unparalleled mental toughness.
He’d hit the ground running with a dominant win at the 1997 Masters and never looked back.
Mickelson was the fan-favorite who played with flair and style. His aggressive style and high-risk strategy captured the imagination of the fans, but it took him a while to win at the major championships.
Woods spent a record 683 weeks at world number one, while Mickelson spent more time at No. 2 than anyone in golf history. This one-sidedness is the only thing stopping this from being the best rivalry in golf’s history.
Woods won the major count 15-6, so there is no doubt who got the better of the other.
2. Arnold Palmer vs. Jack Nicklaus
This is the rivalry that built modern golf. Arnold Palmer brought the sport into the television age with his swagger, aggressive play, and his “Arnie’s Army” fan base. But then came a young Nicklaus, who stole his crown in his own back garden in 1962,
These two greats traded Masters jackets and major titles for over a decade, constantly fighting for titles on the biggest stages. Eventually, Nicklaus went on to win 18 majors, but perhaps that wouldn’t have been possible without Palmer sharpening his skills early.
While there was a rivalry off the course, on the course the pair worked together to change the PGA Tour. They fought for the rights of the players in the 60s to make the tour the success it is today.
Without Nicklaus and Palmer’s rivalry, golf would be totally different to how we know it in the modern age.
1. Rory McIlroy vs Bryson DeChambeau
McIlroy’s feud with DeChambeau is certainly the most contentious on this list. McIlroy has made it abundantly clear that he simply does not like DeChambeau.
There is natural tension there because of DeChambeau’s move to LIV Golf. McIlroy was the face of the anti-LIV movement on the side of the PGA Tour, meanwhile, DeChambeau was the tour’s biggest name.
Then at the 2024 US Open, DeChambeau took advantage of a series of missed McIlroy putts down the stretch to rip it from his hands. And he teased him about it later, which didn’t go down well.
McIlroy got his own back at the 2025 Masters, beating DeChambeau in the final pairing. Afterwards, DeChambeau complained that McIlroy didn’t say a word to him the entire time. McIlroy was perplexed by this.
After winning the Ryder Cup with Team Europe at Bethpage Black, McIlroy covered DeChambeau’s name with a European flag during the celebrations. And now, at the 2026 Open Championship, McIlroy reignited the feud at Royal Birkdale by reminding everyone he is no fan of DeChambeau.
There are rivalries, and there are beefs, and this falls into the latter category. That’s rare in golf, and it makes this the best rivalry in golf’s history.
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