Scheffler cannot be forced to travel the world; his family comes first, says McIlroy

Rory McIlroy has answered the criticism of world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler's playing schedule. In McIlroy's view, there is nothing wrong if Scheffler does not travel the world to play — that is his own decision.

Scheffler has been the world's No. 1 golfer for 176 consecutive weeks. The American, who has stayed at the top for more than three years, played 20 tournaments in the 2026 PGA Tour season, only two of them outside the United States — the Scottish Open and The Open Championship. He won three times and earned just under 31 million dollars.

In September, a column in Golf Monthly argued that, as the world's No. 1 player, Scheffler should play around the world and act as a 'global ambassador' for the game. The column said he could fairly be criticised for spending little more than a fortnight a year outside America.

The debate has carried on into November. Speaking ahead of this week's Abu Dhabi Aldar Golf Championship, McIlroy said, 'People have their own decisions to make and their own lives. If Scottie doesn't play, that's his decision.'

The six-time major champion added, 'If he doesn't want to, that's his prerogative. I think Scottie being Scottie is good enough for the world of golf. He's got a young family, and being with his family adds value to his life.' McIlroy noted that he himself likes to travel, but that travel is all he has ever known.

Scheffler himself has always said that golf is not the most important thing in his life — his faith and his young family rank well above the game. In the eyes of fans and fellow players, he is a very normal person who loves spending time with his family and also happens to be one of the generational talents of the sport.

Scheffler's biggest criticism for a long time was that he is 'boring', because of the way he beats opponents with relentless ball-striking. In recent months, however, the focus of the criticism has shifted to his playing schedule.

The report argued that, as the best player on the planet, Scheffler has earned the right to control every aspect of his schedule. It also said he should not be criticised for being an American who enjoys playing and winning in America and prioritises sleeping in his own home with his family as much as he possibly can.