Rory McIlroy will be aware that he is like almost every other player on the PGA Tour right now in having his work cut out trying to catch Scottie Scheffler in 2026.
Scottie Scheffler has proven himself to be the most dominant male golfer the game has seen since Tiger Woods was at his peak. The world number one has won 15 times worldwide since the start of the 2024 season.
Do you think Rory McIlroy will win two or more majors before he retires?
But Rory McIlroy did push him last year.
Rory McIlroy makes a statement with his performance at the Dubai Invitational
The Northern Irishman completed the Career Grand Slam at The Masters, while he also won at Pebble Beach and TPC Sawgrass.
Back in Europe, McIlroy won the Irish Open. He was also a key part of the European side that won the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.
But of course, McIlroy also endured a significant dip following his emotional triumph at Augusta National. Understandably, his momentum stalled after a superb start to the year.
The 36-year-old was unable to mark his first start of 2026 with a victory. However, he did perhaps still manage to send something of a warning to Scheffler with his performance at the Dubai Invitational.
McIlroy was far from his best in Dubai. He made 11 bogeys across the week, with the par five fourth at Dubai Creek Resort causing him particular issues.
Nevertheless, he still managed to give himself a superb opportunity to win. McIlroy finished just two shots behind overnight leader Nacho Elvira.
McIlroy able to contend while well short of his best
The high point of the week came around the turn on Sunday as McIlroy made five birdies in a row.
McIlroy had mixed feelings about his performance. But it says plenty that he came so close to winning while well short of his very best.
He was ninth in the field for strokes gained off the tee, according to the DP World Tour website. Meanwhile, he was barely in positive numbers for strokes gained approach.
McIlroy had a brilliant year with the putter in 2025, and he continued that this week. He gained 1.54 shots per round on the greens – only Elvira performed better.
Obviously, the field was not as strong as what he can expect on the PGA Tour in a few weeks. And he has plenty of happy memories in Dubai. But McIlroy gave himself plenty of opportunities to play himself out of the tournament.
He still managed to put himself in the mix down the stretch. And you would imagine that McIlroy will only get better and better from here.
Whatever happens to McIlroy this year, he is almost certainly not going to experience a victory as impactful as last year’s win at The Masters.
That victory inadvertently knocked him completely off his stride as he was forced to re-evaluate most of his goals from the last 15 years.
Should he stay injury free, McIlroy should not have to worry about his momentum being derailed. With that, he may be ready to push Scheffler on a consistent basis.
There are plenty of hurdles to clear, but McIlroy is off to a very positive start.
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