Brandel Chamblee Says Rory McIlroy Can't Beat Scottie Scheffler at His Best

NEWTON SQUARE, Pa. — I’m a hot-take aficionado. There’s nothing I love to hear more than a talking head spew an opinion that gets the folks riled up.

But to steal a quote from Micheal Scott: “How the turn tables…”

On Tuesday, during a segment of Golf Channel’s Live From the PGA Championship, Brandel Chamblee said that if Scottie Scheffler has his A-game at Aronimink this week, Rory McIlroy stands no chance.

“If Scottie plays well this week, Rory can’t beat him,” he said. “Scottie is so demonstrably better than everyone else, it’s just not close. If Scottie plays his best golf, Rory can not beat him.”

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Now, in reality, there’s no way to know for sure. We’ve yet to see a true Scottie vs. Rory duel down the stretch of any golf tournament. We haven’t seen them separate from the rest of the field and go to battle mano a mano.

We’ve gotten a few tastes: Rory chased him down at the TOUR Championship in 2022 after entering the final round six shots back, Scottie won the Masters that same year while Rory finished second, and just last month, Rory once again slipped into his Green Jacket, besting the World No. 1 by a shot. But to this day, we haven’t seen them in the final group, both at the height of their powers, duke it out.

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But at the same time, I’m going to have to disagree with Mr. Chamblee.

Rory is the greatest driver of the golf ball this game has ever seen. I’d love to say that’s up for debate, but it’s just not. If you ever find yourself at a PGA TOUR event, go to the range and watch him hit balls. Other players will slow down as they walk by just to catch a quick glimpse. It’s poetry in motion.

And while most would quickly give Scottie the edge in the iron department, that hasn’t been the case this season. Rory is seventh in Strokes Gained: Approach (Scottie is 42nd) and 12th in proximity (Scottie is 144th).

The one notable advantage Scottie has had to this point of the season has been the flat-stick. He’s ranked 14th in SG: Putting and second in putting average, and that’s resulted in him leading the TOUR in scoring average and birdie average. But despite ranking 105th in SG: Putting and 52nd in putting average, Rory is fifth in scoring average and second in birdie average.

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What happens if the Northern Irishman runs into a hot putter? Shades of Congressional? What about the 2019 RBC Canadian Open? Now, the same could be said for Scottie and his iron play. What if he gets back to his old ways and starts stuffing the pinata again?

So I guess this long-winded statistical word vomit has brought me back to my original point: we have no clue what the outcome would be.

But I’ve seen him at the top of his game enough times to know that a Rory McIlroy in full flight is uncontainable—or at least good enough to be in the same conversation as A+ Scottie Scheffler, instead of being unequivocally dismissed with a shoo and scoff.