Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy endured contrasting fortunes on day two of the PGA Championship as they sit at opposite ends of the remaining field.
McIlroy very nearly missed the cut after an up and down round. In the end, he scraped through on one over par.
For Scheffler, there was better news, as the world number one put together a solid round of three under par to move to five under and three off the lead for the tournament.
Of course, Scheffler and McIlroy were part of a blockbuster trio alongside Xander Schauffele and all eyeballs were on them.
However, in terms of Scheffler keeping tabs on what McIlroy was doing, the world number one has suggested it’s simply business as usual for him.
Scottie Scheffler says if he was watching Rory McIlroy at the PGA Championship
Scheffler was speaking to the media after his second round saw him move three off the lead and he was asked how it is playing alongside someone like Rory McIlroy when he’s on a hot streak.
However, for Scheffler, he admitted it’s very much all about what he does.
“That’s a good question. When you’re out there competing, I’m mostly concerned about myself out there. I notice what’s going on, but it’s not like another sport. Like if we were playing basketball and he’s hitting a bunch of threes in my face, I’d probably have to adjust something because it’s more of a one-on-one game,” Scheffler replied.
“In golf there is…outside of us two there are 154 other people in the field this week. It’s a big field, and there’s a lot of guys. I think mostly we’re competing against the golf course at times, especially the first two rounds. If it was late on Sunday and he was making a charge to get three ahead of me, maybe I’d have to change something.
“But in the second round, it doesn’t really make much of a difference to me.”
Scheffler looking focused while McIlroy seems off his game
Seeing the world’s best out on course together is always a treat but we couldn’t have been served up anything more different from the top two players in the world.
Scottie Scheffler looks in control, determined to show he is still top dog in the game and his effortless round of 68 showed his class.
McIlroy, meanwhile, looks a shadow of the player we’ve seen so far in 2025. He’s been erratic off the tee, while his usually brilliant iron game has deserted him at times.
Saturday is going to be crucial for McIlroy. He simply has to shoot four or five under to get into the mix.
As for Scheffler, if he repeats Friday’s performance, then it’s hard to imagine him not winning.
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