It is always interesting to hear what top players really think of their peers, especially when it comes to someone like Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy has long been seen as one of golf’s biggest talents and the natural successor to Tiger Woods.
And even though he may not have won as many majors as some expected, his recent Masters win means he completed the Career Grand Slam.
While others – such as Scottie Scheffler – have put together more dominant runs in recent years, there are still plenty who believe he remains the most naturally gifted player out there.
Ryan Fox left impressed by two players after sharing the course with them
Justin Thomas has pointed out in the past that there is nothing about Scheffler’s game that really jumps out at you. But with McIlroy, it is a different story. There is something about his game that stands apart.
Ryan Fox, like many others, has not always been able to pin down exactly what makes Scheffler so effective.
And when it comes to players who have stood out, he prefers to point out two other names, despite also mentioning the world number one.
Fox explained in a video on Taco Golf: “I played with DJ [Dustin Johnson] in my first year on tour, in 2017. Saturday at Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi’s a pretty strong golf course for me. It was long rough, you had to drive the ball really good. I played with him and Rickie Fowler. That was a pretty cool group to play in.
“And I played really good. Shot three under, didn’t make a bogey. Rickie shot one under. And DJ shot 64 like it was nothing. And that’s the first time I’ve walked off the golf course and gone, ‘—-, I don’t have that’.
“The other one was Rory. I’ve played with Rory a few times now, quite a few practice rounds with him. But we played the first round at the Dubai Invitational, a couple of years ago, in 2023. It was the first event of the season. I was pretty rusty and I scrapped around for 71 again or something like that. And Rory went out and shot 62. It just looked easy.
“He holed a couple of putts, but it wasn’t anything crazy. A couple of 20 footers, but it’s not like he holed 150 foot of putts for the day. He’s probably the one guy you watch and he hits shots that I don’t think anyone else has.”
He added: “You watch Scottie Scheffler play, and I’ve never played with Scottie, but you watch him on the range and you watch him on TV and you see his flights, Scottie, it’s control, but he hits the shot that you have to hit every time. It’s pin high, if he wants to hit a fade, it fades. If he wants to hit a draw, it draws. And he’s never off the planet.
“Rory’s the one who hits those unbelievable shots that you just look at and you’re like yeah okay, you’ve just got it. He hits it high, he can hit it far. He can move it a long way in both directions. He’s hit some absolutely incredible shots under pressure. But he’s also got the occasional wayward one.
“Those two, DJ and Rory are the two that were like, yeah okay, I’m not at that level.”
Dustin Johnson still searching for form after sharp drop-off in recent years
Dustin Johnson’s career has taken a clear turn in recent seasons. He has not cracked the top five in a major since his Masters win back in 2020, and that remains his most recent victory on the PGA Tour.
To be fair, 2025 was the first year he went without a win on LIV Golf since joining three years prior. His best result this past season was a single podium finish, and he missed cuts at three of the four majors.
It is hard to ignore how far the 41-year-old’s game has slipped over the past few years.
Still, it would not be wise to completely rule out a resurgence. Even with his current form, few would be shocked if he managed to find some of that old spark again somewhere down the line.
- READ MORE: Tony Finau says Jason Day is doing ‘incredible’ work that golf fans should pay attention to
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
