Xander Schauffele had a few words to say about Rory McIlroy! The reigning Open champion called out the 35-year-old over his changed stance on LIV Golf, as he was once the biggest critic of the Saudi-backed league. In the last two years, McIlroy has gone from hating LIV Golf to advocating for the unification of men’s golf.

That’s not the first time McIlroy changed his perspective on something. He once expressed disinterest in the Olympics and didn’t want to participate in the 2016 Games. However, after the Tokyo Olympics concluded, McIlroy’s view changed and he expressed his desire to participate in the Olympics in the future. When asked about McIlroy’s recent comments on the bifurcation in men’s golf, which he described as a “sh*t show,” Xander Schauffele, the world No. 2

He hit back at the Northern Irishman and said, “He kind of bounces around with his opinion, you know. He said that he… he’s reverted on that topic.” However, Schauffele agreed with McIlroy on one thing: the Olympics were something that men’s golf needed in a rough time.

Image courtesy- ImagoJust when the fans would have criticized Schauffele for his stance about McIlroy, the 35-year-old proved that the 2-time major winner was right all along as he changed his stance about the format of the TOUR Championship, which he once declared was not the best way. And Scottie Scheffler might be the reason behind this recent change.

Rory McIlroy thinks better of the FedExCup format, proving Schauffele correct

Back in 2019, when Rory McIlroy came to the TOUR Championship, the format had changed. The PGA Tour introduced a new Starting Strokes format, where the FedExCup Points leader will have a 10-stroke lead until the last players start at even par. Given the advantage of strokes, McIlroy questioned the format and its legitimacy.

Furthermore, he compared the playoffs to other elevated events like the PLAYERS Championship and said, “If the FedEx Cup really wants to have this legacy in the game like some of these other championships, is people starting the tournament on different numbers the best way to do it?”  Initially, the Northern Irishman did not favor the format. However, four years later, he has grown to love it. After playing at the St. Jude Championship on Wednesday, McIlroy was asked at the press conference if he wanted the TOUR Championship to go back to the old format.

Surprisingly, McIlroy replied, “I love this format because if it wasn’t this format, then none of us would have a chance against Scottie because he’s so far ahead. So I really like this format.” So even though Scheffler isn’t fond of the Starting Strokes format himself, his dominant run in the 2024 season with six wins and a gold medal at the Olympics forced the Northern Irishman to see the unique format in a different light. proving Schauffele right that the Ulsterman does bounce his opinions at times.

The three will face off against each other after a great bounty at Le Golf National, where Scheffler was a victor yet again, at the TPC Southwind. Until they reach the TOUR Championship, it will be interesting to see who will lead the points leaderboard and get the 10-stroke lead.