‘Irritable’ Scottie Scheffler handed stark warning as Rory McIlroy issues Players fitness update

Scottie Scheffler has climbed to the top of the golfing world in his own way.

With four major championship victories in the last four years, he has already made his way into the pantheon of all-time greats.

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He also has two titles at The Players after back-to-back wins at TPC Sawgrass in 2023 and 2024.

But as he prepares to wrestle back the crown of golf’s ‘unofficial fifth major’ from last year’s winner Rory McIlroy he has been far from happy on the course so far this season.

While McIlroy battles a back injury that forced him into just a second career withdrawal on the PGA Tour, Scheffler left Bay Hill with a few more questions than he would like.

McIlroy delayed his arrival at the tournament, with the Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis issuing the latest.

“The back is being a bit more stubborn than we thought, so I’m staying at home today and tomorrow to continue treatment in South Florida with the hope to travel to Ponte Vedra on Wednesday at some point,” Lewis quoted McIlroy as telling him.

As McIlroy waits for the green light, the attention is also on Scheffler.

Despite winning a 20th career PGA title with his win at the American Express in January, there have been signs of anger in recent weeks.

Sky Sports analyst Wayne Riley has been up close with the world No.1 over the last few weeks, and has spotted a few signs that all is not well.

“He’s been like it for quite some time. Evidently, when he was young, he used to lose his lose the rag all the time. But just of late. I don’t know what’s going on with Scotty,” Riley told the Sky Sports Golf Podcast on the even of The Players.

“I don’t know what to say about Scottie Scheffler in this respect. I want to say something everyone, but I daren’t say it because at the end of the day it might not happen.”

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Whether tinkering with his swing, or aiming his displeasure towards caddie Ted Scott, he was not best pleased at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

His 24th place finish was dogged by some shaky approach play and some grumbling on and around the greens and Riley has warned that for all the success and his unique style, there are warnings from down the years.

“I’ve seen a lot of I’ve seen a lot of golfers with funky swings that have to marry up a lot of moves disappear from the face of this earth,” Riley added.

“I’m not going to say that’s going to happen to Scottie Scheffler but we’ve seen it all before.

“Bill Rogers was the number one player in the world at that time. Won the Open Championship, won the the the Memorial, won the the the World Series, won the Australian Open, won in Japan, all in one year.

“He’s always happy when he’s holing putts but I’ve heard him have have a right few winges.

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“On the golf course you go up to Scotty and you don’t know really what you get. You always get a hello but how much of a hello you’re going to get is is interesting.

“You know when you’re a new person coming on tour it’s all lovely, everything’s just dandy but as you stay on tour a little longer and things some things start to go wrong, you start to see players true characters, don’t you?

“And and you know, he’s having a whinge, things aren’t going his way.

“In the last three years, he’s only won like $100 million – not good, is it, Scotty? Stop winging.”

Hall of Fame status already assured

With presenter Jamie Weir rightly arguing the case that Scheffler is already a generational talent, Riley believes he already has a Hall of Fame career.

But has question what might happen if the swing falls apart.

“He does everything his own way. Now sometimes when you have to marry so many things as one, if you if you were to lose it, how do you put it how do you glue it all back together?

It’s all relative and Scheffler is used to being judged by the highest standards, which are tournament wins.

While there may be a few issues for Scheffler to iron out, he is already assured of his status as one of the very best to play the game.

And it would be no surprise to see him rack up another win come Sunday evening in Florida. He has registered a top 25 finish in all five of his starts this season, three in the top five so ‘struggles’ should be quantified.

At The Players. Scheffler will be alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Thomaswhile McIlroy is scheduled to be partnered with Xander Schauffele and Hideki Matsuyama, if fit

Not only will Scheffler be aiming to take McIlroy’s Players crown, but in April he will also be aiming to claim back the Masters Green Jacket that the Northern Irishman won so dramatically in 2026.