Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are the clear top two in the world right now, but there is someone else starting to close that gap.
Across the last two years, especially over the past 12 months, McIlroy and Scheffler have been the standout players on the PGA Tour.
In 2025, McIlroy won The Masters along with two other events. On the other hand, Scheffler picked up six wins of his own, including The Open.
| Rory McIlroy | Scottie Scheffler | |
| Events played | 16 | 20 |
| Cuts made | 15 | 20 |
| Wins | 3 | 6 |
| Top tens | 8 | 17 |
| Top 25s | 14 | 20 |
| Money earned | $16,992,418 | $27,659,550 |
McIlroy still has a few tournaments left this year and could add to his tally, with eyes on the DP World Tour Championship as well.
But as we look ahead to what should be another great year in 2026, one player seems ready to step up and challenge them more consistently: Xander Schauffele.
Why Xander Schauffele is making a strong case to challenge the top two
Schauffele might have had his year interrupted by injuries, but he is still holding onto the world number four ranking, and recent performances are showing why he belongs there.
He played a vital role for Team USA at the Ryder Cup, picking up three points, including a standout singles win over Jon Rahm.
Since then, Schauffele has stayed active as he builds towards 2026. This week, he has been competing at the Baycurrent Classic in Japan and has made an impact.
His second-round 63 put him right in contention heading into the weekend. Combine that with his strong Ryder Cup showing, and it is clear why he was ranked third in the world not long ago.
If he can keep this level of play going into next year, we could be looking at more than just a two-man race at the top of golf. There could be three players vying for supremacy in 2026.
Schauffele’s highlights from the 2025 season
Despite grappling with injuries, Schauffele has maintained a respectable performance record, even though he has not secured a win since his Open victory in 2024.
He started the year well, finishing T8 at The Masters, then added two more top-20 finishes at the RBC Heritage and Truist.
He also placed T12 at the US Open, and after a T61 finish at the Travelers in June, he wrapped up the season on a high note.
| Strokes gained category | Xander Schauffele’s PGA Tour rank (2025) |
| Off the tee | 157th |
| Tee to green | 57th |
| Approach | 7th |
| Around the green | 134th |
| Putting | 139th |
| Total | 86th |
A stretch that included finishes of T8, T7, T22 and T28 before landing in a tie for second place at Baycurrent suggests Schauffele is getting closer to his top form again.
Should he convert his position into a win this week in Japan, it would be another boost. But even if he does not, there are plenty of reasons to believe he is heading into 2026 in good shape.
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