Rory McIlroy revealed true self to Scottie Scheffler with advice that changed his career

Rory McIlroy may have unintentionally played a part in shaping world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler into the golfer he is today. And the Grand Slam-winner might think twice before offering nuggets of wisdom to his competitors in the future.

Scheffler, 29, turned professional in 2018 and began racking up victories on the PGA Tour in 2022. However, it wasn't until 2024 that his game truly started to take shape, and fans began to see the dominant star we know today. After a dry spell of 51 weeks without a PGA Tour victory, Scheffler bounced back in March 2024, winning seven tournaments that year, including his second Masters title. He followed this with six more Tour wins in 2025, with The Open and the PGA Championship among them.

The most significant change during this period has been a noticeable improvement in his putting game. It was at the 2024 Genesis Invitational where McIlroy joined CBS' Amanda Balionis on the mic, offering his rival some friendly encouragement about his choice of equipment.

"So, I'd love to see Scottie try a mallet [putter]," said the Northern Irishman during his commentary stint. "But selfishly, for me, Scottie does everything else so well that he's giving the rest of us a chance."

Scheffler went on to win the Genesis Invitational by five strokes. After the tournament, McIlroy quipped: "I'm not going to give him any more advice, that's for sure!"

McIlroy saw a significant improvement in his game after switching from a blade to a mallet-style putter. This move reflects the 36-year-old's positive attitude and competitive spirit, even considering a change that could potentially benefit a rival.

Whether Scheffler took McIlroy's advice on board remains up for debate. However, the timing of McIlroy's comment and Scheffler's putting the change into effect seems almost too coincidental.

Scheffler's prowess off the tee and fairway has always been recognised as top-tier. Yet, his performance around the greens has notably improved since he made the switch, following McIlroy's suggestion.

After ending the 2024 PGA Tour season ranked 77th in strokes gained putting, Scheffler has risen to 20th in this year's rankings. Considering his recent dominance with woods and irons, this progress seems almost unfair to the rest of the field.

On the surface, it may appear as though Scheffler owes some of that improvement to McIlroy. However, the American has dismissed the idea that his switch was influenced by his European rival.

During an appearance on the in September 2024, he was asked if McIlroy had influenced his decision, but responded: "No, it's something that I'd thought about, but don't let the truth get in the way of a good story, right? My putting coach and I thought about it. At the beginning of the year, I'd improved a little bit.

"But I still wasn't where I thought I could be. I thought I could get better. It was nice for me to get out of my own head, look at something different. I used to line up the ball where I wanted to hit it when I was putting, and it would kinda get in my head a little bit."