Scottie Scheffler has opened up about his preparation for the PGA Championship, highlighting a significant difference in approach compared to Rory McIlroy. The world’s top two golfers took contrasting paths in readying themselves for the year’s second major, underscoring a clear disagreement on optimal preparation strategies for the biggest tournaments.
Contrasting Preparations
Having successfully defended his Masters title, McIlroy opted for a brief rest before competing in last weekend’s Truist Championship. The Northern Irishman has previously expressed his preference for playing tournament golf immediately before a major, stating last year: “I really like playing the week before.”
This stands in sharp contrast to Scheffler, who has openly admitted he is not a fan of competitive play so close to a major event. While McIlroy and many other rivals were battling at the Truist, Scheffler took a different route.
Scheffler’s Approach
“I think a little bit of that is just studying, getting ready for the golf course and just making sure… I’m just kind of going through my checkpoints,” Scheffler explained. “I had played some pretty decent golf over the few weeks leading up. So sometimes if my game feels like it’s in a pretty good spot, a lot of it is checking the boxes and making sure things feel the way they should feel heading into a tournament like this.
“There’s other times throughout the year where maybe I don’t feel as good with where my swing’s at, and maybe not hole a lot of putts. But overall, the last few weeks I’ve played some nice golf. So a lot of it was make sure I got rest, made sure I checked the boxes, and made sure things feel the way I want them to feel heading into a major championship. And just get the mind right to come out here and play.”
Round One Success
Scheffler’s diligent preparation appeared to yield immediate dividends as he ended the first round of the PGA Championship with a share of the lead. He was among the final groups to finish on a day when low scores were hard to come by. Scheffler carded a three-under-par round, placing him in a seven-way tie at the top of a congested leaderboard, which included German Martin Kaymer, 12 years removed from his second major win.
McIlroy’s Struggles
In contrast, McIlroy endured a nightmare opening round, finishing seven strokes off the lead. The four-time major champion ended his round with four consecutive bogeys and five bogeys in his final six holes, largely due to errant tee shots, leaving him at four-over par. He now faces a battle to make the cut, needing a strong second round to continue his quest for back-to-back majors and a seventh overall title.
The leaderboard features a record 33 players within two shots of the lead, surpassing the previous high of 28 at the 1993 Open Championship. Among them are 12 major champions, though McIlroy is not one of them after his difficult start.
