“Scottie does everything else so well.” -said an impressed Rory McIlroy about Scottie Scheffler at the 2024 Genesis Invitational. However, the PGA Tour pro being a nice guy is, as per a certain journalist, what gives an edge to the competitor. Interestingly, a similar situation occurred when the Northern Irishman gave honest advice to the current No.1 which then went ahead and backfired as the 34-year-old was dominated by the latter at the recent signature event.
Well, it seems what Paul McGinley said about the athlete during the interview with Golf Channel does hold true. Meanwhile, the broadcaster was also extremely appreciative of how “guarded” Tiger Woods was as he carried himself out on the course all the while urging the players not to give their competitors an edge, much like the legend of the game!
A ‘nice’ Rory McIlroy and a ‘guarded’ Tiger Woods
“I think Rory is at his best when he’s got an edge,” stated McGinley as he recounted the recent biennial event which saw the 4-time major champ have his best-ever Ryder Cup performance. However, adding on, he was quick to point out how much of a pleasant person he really is. “He’s such a nice guy,” divulged the journalist before mentioning how such a demeanor can work against him. He said, “When he’s asked a question, he gives such an honest answer. But sometimes that gives an edge to your competitor,”
Meanwhile, the 57-year-old veteran couldn’t help but draw a parallel between the Northern Irishman and the 15-time major champ. “Tiger Woods was so guarded in that instance,” said McGinley as he continued, “He would never give David Duval a boost up and say, you know, how great a player David was.” Unfortunately, such an edge can only be witnessed in a handful of events owing to the his absence from many of the tournaments.
The journalist went ahead to further state how a player needs to keep his foot down. Moreover, he was also extremely complimentary of the biennial tournament which always had its viewers on the edge. Besides, he called for a similar mindset for the men’s circuit as he said, “I don’t think it should be any different when you come out here on Tour.”
Regardless, McGinley sure appears to be a fan of McIlroy’s performance at the Ryder Cup. One can’t help but take a look at the performance the golfer was able to dish out during the prestigious tournament.McIlroy displays his edge at the 2023 Ryder Cup
Out of the five matches that the current World No.2 played at the event, the 24-time PGA Tour Champ won four of them with his lone loss coming alongside Matt Fitzpatrick, against the likes of Patrick Cantlay and Wyndham Clark. As a result, the best Ryder Cup performance in his pro career helped to lead Europe to a 16.6-11.5 victory over the U.S.
Meanwhile, McGinley seems to have thoroughly enjoyed the prestigious event and the excitement it brought, especially from McIlroy and his interactions on and off the course. The community can only hope that the men’s circuit regains the edge that it has missed, which, apparently cannot be gained back through the ‘nice guy’ persona that the Northern Irishman dons at times.
