CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The 107th PGA Championship is a wrap and Scottie Scheffler is the champion after a five-shot victory that wasn’t as easy as that margin sounds, but major win No. 3 it is indeed for the world No. 1.
The golf world is on a heater right now with Rory McIlroy winning the Masters for his fifth career major (not to mention the career Grand Slam) and Scheffler grabbing his third. But as the world’s top two players have separated themselves from the field for the moment, it begs a statement for the SI Golf crew to debate, "Fact or Fiction" style:
Scottie Scheffler Will Win More Majors Than Rory McIlroy.
Bob Harig, SI Golf Senior Writer: FICTION. It’s tempting to go ahead and give Scheffler a bunch more majors, but we did the same thing for McIlroy when he got to four in 2014. It took him until this year to get a fifth. It’s quite possible that Scheffler exceeds that total but the view here is that McIlroy will win a few more, too.
John Pluym, SI.com Managing Editor: FACT. Scheffler has the game, confidence and demeanor to continue to win majors on a consistent basis. Yes, McIlroy won four majors by the age of 25, and Scheffler just won his third before 29. I don’t anticipate Scheffler’s game falling apart anytime soon. All he does is win. He’s the closest thing we’ve seen to Tiger in a very long time.
Jeff Ritter, SI Golf Managing Director: FACT. Scheffler is in his prime and he has more prime years ahead. I can see Rory winning one or two more, but Scottie is on a track toward legendary status. He could be tied with McIlroy by this time next year.
Max Schreiber, SI Golf Contributor: FACT. McIlroy, of course, jumped out of the gate with four and then took 11 years to win a fifth. We keep hearing how McIlroy is freed up after winning the Masters, but that sure didn’t look like the case this week. McIlroy should add more majors to his total, but Scheffler, being eight years younger than McIlroy, and only two back of his major total (and the best player the sport has seen since Tiger’s prime), Scheffler is the answer here.
John Schwarb, SI Golf Senior Editor: FACT. This may be a recency-bias answer but I’m hanging my hat on this: Scheffler was born more recently. Not that the 36-year-old McIlroy is by any means done, I don’t think predictions of him getting to double-digits are crazy. But I think Scheffler, 29 next month, wins more across the greater inventory he’ll have in his prime. Might we be in the midst of a run where Scheffler/McIlroy/DeChambeau—winners of four of the last six majors—start picking them off in bunches like Federer/Nadal/Djokovic did in tennis? That would be kinda fun.
Matt Vincenzi, SI Golf Contributor: FACT. Rory McIlroy's Masters win sparked some conversations that weren’t realistic. The flaws that plagued the Northern Irishman during over a decade of major championships are still there. He may get another one or two, but the illusions that he’d get 10 or 11 were hyperbolic. He’s 36, eight years older than Scheffler and now only has two majors on him. Scheffler will catch him within the next five to seven years.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fact or Fiction: Scottie Scheffler Will Win More Majors Than Rory McIlroy.