Follow us on Google Discover Rory McIlroy is always an open book when it comes to answering questions about his fellow players.
That was no different on Saturday when McIlroy fielded questions about Scottie Scheffler and Wyndham Clark battling it out for the PGA Tour Player of the Year award.
The two Americans have been the standout performers on the PGA Tour this year, but it is fair to say that other players also have a chance of winning Player of the Year.
Wyndham Clark has two wins to his name this year, including the US Open, and he has a great chance of recording his third victory of the year on Sunday at the BMW Championship.
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Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler has also recorded two wins in 2026, and he has 12 top-5 finishes to his name as well.
It must be said, Cam Young and Matt Fitzpatrick are in the race as well, but they will probably need to win the Tour Championship to have a genuine chance.
Rory McIlroy isn’t out of the running either, but he will probably need to win the final two events of the season to even stand a chance.
Rory McIlroy on Player of the Year race between Wyndham Clark and Scottie Scheffler
McIlroy has suggested that Scheffler has been the PGA Tour’s best player this year.
The Northern Irishman responded when asked whether he still thinks Scheffler leads the Player of the Year race, regardless of what Clark does this week.
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“Yeah, I mean, I think I said what I said earlier in the week a little bit in jest, but at the same time, Scottie was coming off the win last week,“ McIlroy admitted.
“But what Wyndham is doing this week, you know, if he keeps playing the way he is, it’s a conversation to be had.
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“I mean, in 2019, Brooks had won a major, but I had won The Players and the FedEx Cup. So it’s like, it’s really what your peers value more.
“That year, you know, they seemed to value what I did over what he did.
“But, if you look at Scottie’s statistical profile, it’s just like he’s number one in strokes gained, he’s number one in scoring average. He’s number one in so many statistical categories.
“So, I think you have to put that into it as well. He’s had an unbelievably consistent year. He hasn’t had the wins that he’s had in previous years, but yeah, if Wyndham goes on and wins this week, it’s, you know, I think we’re going to all have to think about it a little bit harder.“
Player of the Year race heats up
Much will depend on who wins the final two events of the season.
If Wyndham Clark wins the BMW Championship on Sunday, and anyone but Scottie Scheffler triumphs at the Tour Championship next week, it will be very hard not to vote for the two-time US Open champion as Player of the Year.
Clark’s struggles over the past 12-18 months prior to the start of the 2026 season must surely play a role in the voting as well.
The 32-year-old must be very strong mentally to have bounced back from some of the lows he endured in 2025.
Now he may well be just one win away from winning the PGA Tour Player of the Year award.
Scheffler definitely cannot be ruled out, though.
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