Scottie Scheffler continues his PGA Tour season at Bay Hill this week, with the world number one headlining the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Scheffler is the highest-ranked player in the field at Bay Hill, but McIlroy can be confident of Arnold Palmer Invitational success.
But Scheffler is the most recent champion at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, having lifted the trophy last time out.
It represented one of seven PGA Tour titles for the American in 2024, which included the Masters and the Players.
And his stunning success has coincided with a leadership role off the course, with Scheffler currently sitting on the Player Advisory Council (PAC).
Scottie Scheffler hints at PGA Tour change amid PAC discussions
Joined by the likes of Justin Thomas and Max Homa, the PAC consults with the PGA Tour Policy Board and Commissioner Jay Monahan on issues affecting the tour and its members.
His role cropped up in his opening Arnold Palmer Invitational press conference, with Scheffler asked if he is advocating for change to the Tour Championship format.
“There’s a few different formats that I think we’re looking at right now,” he replied. “Some of them good, some of them were bad.
“I’m not really going to go into details of those formats because we’re still ironing them out. Yeah, I think being a part of the PAC is an important position right now for the Tour, because we do have a lot of input on the direction of where we’re going with things.
“And with where the PGA Tour is right now I think we’re in a really good spot where we have good competition, and I think when it comes to the FedExCup I want to have some of the purest forms of competition and really crown a true winner.
“Is starting strokes the best format for that? Right now I would say probably not. And so that’s kind of why I think we’re looking at different stuff.
“And the position where I am on the PAC, we have a lot of great guys on it this year that are all at different levels of the Tour, whether it be guys that are just now getting their card or guys that have been around for a while, and then you have some great players and some players who are trying to work towards greatness.
“I think we got a good balance and good perspectives and feel like we’re working in the right direction for sure.”
Scottie Scheffler headlines 2025 PAC at key period for PGA Tour
It certainly is a star-studded list, with Scheffler and Thomas both reprising their PAC roles from the 2024 season.
Sam Burns, Brian Harman, Max Homa, Maverick McNealy, Keith Mitchell and Seamus Power have done likewise.
READ MORE: Wyndham Clark comments on how he felt watching Scottie Scheffler dominate the PGA Tour in 2024
Eric Cole, Trevor Cone, Max McGreevy and Gary Woodland meanwhile are serving for the first time, with Rickie Fowler, Charley Hoffman, Kevin Kisner and Brandt Snedeker also involved.
And as Scheffler alluded to, a mix is undoubtedly the best way to go about proceedings, with different viewpoints able to be shared.
And given the current issues facing the PGA Tour, predominantly slow play and the ongoing LIV Golf rivalry, all 16 members will definitely be kept on their toes throughout 2025.
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