Home/Golf

via Imago

via Imago

0
  Debate

Debate

Can Rory McIlroy and Ludvig Åberg really take down Scottie Scheffler, or is it just wishful thinking?

The last time a player won more than seven times on the PGA Tour, was Tiger Woods in 2007. After 17 years, the exceptional feat was replicated by Scottie Scheffler as he won the TOUR Championship, to show his talent on the Tour. But can the world no. 1 dominate in the 2025 year too? Could he possibly win seven or more times next season? The 8-time PGA Tour winner, Billy Horschel does not think so.

Horschel was a recent guest on Matt Adams’s Runaway Freight Train-Fairways of Life podcast. There, the 37-year-old was asked the question and if he thought Scheffler would win over or under seven. Horschel solemnly replied, “That’s a great question, I would say I fall under.” Continuing, the Grant native explained that although Scheffler is a great player and super talented, he added, “The PGA Tour is very strong and very deep.” 

What did Horschel mean by this? Well, the 37-year-old expressed that the field at the PGA Tour events is stronger and that it may not allow Scheffler to repeat the 2024 heroics next year. As all things were pointed out, these kinds of golfers will not always allow Scheffler to dominate and win every other event.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Thus, Horschel reiterated, “I’m going to say Scotty does win multiple times I’m sure he probably wins three or four times but to sort of duplicate the year he had this year I think is very difficult” and clarified that he had nothing against Scheffler and was just stating his opinion, as he has disagreed with Scheffler previously too. 

via Reuters

Although Horschel opined that Scheffler would not win as many times as he did in the 2024 season, he did not do so without giving a solid reason. And there were a few golfers including Aberg and McIlroy, who may stand in Scheffler’s way as the 8-time PGA Tour winner highlighted.

Billy Horschel revealed Scottie Scheffler’s arch-rivals next year

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

This year had been dominated by Scottie Scheffler who won all the elevated events of the PGA Tour including a major and not only that he was also the gold medalist at the Paris Olympics. But another player had been in the news for his incredible run in the 2024 season. Billy Horschel gave an example of Xander Schauffele when he explained the PGA Tour is a tough league.

What’s your perspective on:

Can Rory McIlroy and Ludvig Åberg really take down Scottie Scheffler, or is it just wishful thinking?

Have an interesting take?

Schauffele was the only golfer to win two majors, the PGA Championship and The Open. And he is second to world no. 1 in literally everything even the Player of the Year race. Another player who Horsche highlighted was Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman also won twice on the PGA Tour but still had an okayish season per season. The 37-year-old said, “I would expect him in 2025 to step up.”

Patrick Cantlay and Justin Thomas were also brought by Horschel to give tough competition to Scheffler in the 2025 season. And the list could not end without adding Ludvig Aberg to it. Although the Swede did not win any event on the PGA Tour in 2024, Horschel expected him to win big events in 2025.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

He added, “I think once he wins on tour I think that’s just going to be, you know, sort of a David Duval-like situation where I think he’s going to realize what it takes uh and it’s just going to be a snowball effect.” 

So as it looks, Scheffler will have many tall hurdles to cross in the next season to win seven or more times as all the golfers will be better prepared. It remains to be seen if Billy Horschel’s predictions will come true or the world no. 1 will do the unthinkable.