Rory McIlroy's career Grand Slam completion at Augusta was an achievement Xander Schauffele respected - but the two-time major winner is nonetheless keen to "take down" his fellow golfer at the upcoming PGA Championship.
Schauffele, who turned 31 in 2024, has reasons to celebrate after clinching both the Claret Jug and the PGA Championship within two months, yet when it comes to competing against one of Northern Ireland’s finest, his record hasn't been the best.
Last year, a dramatic final round saw McIlroy, 35, shoot a 65 to leapfrog Schauffele and secure victory at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow — a flashback to when McIlroy narrowly emerged victorious over Schauffele in the 2019 WGC-HSBC Champions playoff in Shanghai.
The two golfers are set to showdown again in Charlotte, with Quail Hollow preparing to host them for the PGA Championship. As defending champion, Schauffele is particularly eager to improve his largely lopsided head-to-head score with McIlroy, via The Mirror US.
"The times I think about competing against him, I feel like he's gotten the best of me almost every time," he told reporters this week. "Thinking back to Quail, I got the brunt of firing Rory McIlroy hitting it further and straighter than everyone, chipping and putting it better than everyone, and we kind of saw what that looked like in birdieing, I don't know, what felt like every hole on the back nine.
"Looking back to China, played in a playoff against him. Lost. So I don't really know any other heads-up moments that we've had. But he's accomplished the Grand Slam, which is big congrats to him.
"He already was but is going to go down as one of the greats that I've ever played against. Any chance you can get to sort of take him down or have a go, it's always a good time."
Schauffele is on the cusp of joining an elite group of golfers who have achieved a career Grand Slam. With only a Masters title and a US Open victory needed to complete the set, the American is well-placed to add his name to the list, having finished in the top three at both those tournaments in 2019.
Currently ranked third in the world, Schauffele is hot on the heels of Scottie Scheffler and McIlroy. He has yet to reach the top spot in the world rankings, but a strong run of form this summer could see him break new ground and reach the number two spot.
Following the Wells Fargo Championship, now known as the Truist Championship due to a sponsorship change, Schauffele will have another opportunity to get back at McIlroy when he defends his title at The Open in July. The final major of 2025 is set to take place at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, which presents its own unique challenges.
In a year where McIlroy finally achieved the Grand Slam, the trailblazer is expected to receive a hero's welcome in County Antrim. After expressing the relief he felt after securing his Masters victory, the Holywood native could pose an even greater threat.
This will only serve to motivate a competitor like Schauffele even more, who is keen to upset the hometown favourite in front of his own supporters. Not that he'll be short on motivation, given his history of disappointments when competing against arguably the greatest golfer of this generation.
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