[Photo: Mike Hadnett/Golf Australia]
They stand as the two biggest hurdles in Adam Scott’s bid for a second major championship.
Between them, Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler have claimed four of the past five majors. Following McIlroy’s second Masters win, the pair now share 10 major titles.
Scheffler has won four of those in the past five seasons, while McIlroy’s six stretch back to 2011. Their dominance echoes Tiger Woods’ early years at the start of Scott’s career in 2000.
Now closing in on 100 consecutive major starts, Scott remains driven to win again rather than simply extend his streak.
Related: Is this the end of the line for Dustin Johnson’s impressive majors streak?
To do so, the 45-year-old must find a way to beat two generational players who win in very different styles.
Scott played alongside McIlroy for the opening two rounds of the 2025 Australian Open and has watched his evolution closely. He believes the Northern Irishman’s willingness to show more vulnerability has played a key role in his resurgence.
“I don’t think he said it directly led to him winning the Masters last year, but putting himself out there and being prepared to fail a bit more is what impresses me about him,” Scott said ahead of this week’s Cadillac Championship in Florida.
“The way he’s able to take his lumps, but he also gets some big highs as well. Obviously, he’s so talented, so the ceiling of his golf is really high. But I think that’s gutsy to do that.”
Scheffler presents a different challenge entirely, with Scott admiring the American’s composure and precision during a practice round at Augusta National.
“He’s so good, so controlled with his shots that he can kind of pick the course apart,” Scott said.
“It’s like how I imagine Nick Faldo played, but a modern version of that. And I mean that all in positive ways.
“I was watching him even practising and chipping. It’s very strategic. It seemed like he had all his bases covered and can pick the course apart.”
Scott, who turns 46 in July, is still chasing his first win in more than six years.
This week’s return of the PGA Tour to the Blue Monster at Trump National Doral carries added significance, with Scott having won there previously when it was a World Golf Championships event.
“I still feel like I can play at a high level, but I’m looking to lift the ceiling a little bit and get in there and win again,” Scott said.
“Maybe the good vibes here from 10 years ago will help me this week.”
Round 1 tee times AEST
PGA TOUR
Cadillac Championship
Trump National Doral (Blue Monster), Miami, Florida
1 am Adam Scott
1:30 am Min Woo Lee
2:25 am Ryan Fox (NZ)
4:45 am Jason Day
Recent champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
TV times: Live 10:30 pm-9 am Thursday; Live 10:55 pm-9 am Friday; Live 11 pm-8 am Saturday; Live 10 pm-8 am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo Sports.
LPGA Tour
Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba
El Camaleon Golf Course at Mayakoba, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
11pm* Hira Naveed
11:24 pm Gabriela Ruffels
11:48 pm Sarah Kemp
3am* Su Oh
4:12am* Robyn Choi
Recent champion: Chizzy Iwai
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prizemoney: $US2.5m
TV times: Live 12am-3am Friday on Fox Sports 506; Live 12am-3am Saturday; Live 6:30am-9:30am Sunday on Fox Sports 507; Live 2am-5am Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo Sports.
DP World Tour
Turkish Airlines Open
National GC, Belek, Antalya, Turkey
2:55pm Jason Scrivener
3:25pm* David Micheluzzi
3:35pm* Connor McKinney
4:05pm* Jack Buchanan
7:50pm Daniel Hillier (NZ)
8pm* Kazuma Kobori (NZ)
8:10pm Elvis Smylie
9pm Anthony Quayle
9:30pm* Ryan Peake
Recent champion: Martin Couvra
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prizemoney: $US2.75m
TV times: Live 8pm-1am Thursday, Friday; Live 8:45pm-1am Saturday; Live 8pm-1am Sunday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo Sports.
Ladies European Tour
MCB Ladies Classic – Mauritius
Constance Belle Mare Plage (The Legend Course), Mauritius
Australasians in the field: Kirsten Rudgeley, Amelia Garvey (NZ), Maddison Hinson-Tolchard, Justice Bosio, Momoka Kobori (NZ)
Recent champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prizemoney: €400,000
TV times: Live 8pm-11pm Friday on Fox Sports 506; Live 8pm-11pm Saturday; Live 7pm-10pm Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo Sports.
PGA TOUR Champions
Regions Tradition
Greystone G&CC, Birmingham, Alabama
1:10am Steve Allan
1:21am Michael Wright
1:32am* Greg Chalmers
1:54am John Senden
2:16am Scott Hend
2:16am* Cameron Percy, Richard Green
2:38am* Stuart Appleby
3am* Rod Pampling
3:22am Steven Alker (NZ)
Recent champion: Angel Cabrera
Past Aussie winners: Graham Marsh (1999)
TV times: Live 2am-5am Friday, Saturday on Fox Sports 505; 10am-11:30am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo Sports.
Asian Tour/Korean PGA Tour
45th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship
Namseoul Country Club, Korea
7:41am Maverick Antcliff
8:03am* Danny Lee (NZ)
1:03pm* Kevin Yuan, Junseok Lee
1:14pm* Denzel Ieremia (NZ)
1:25pm* Jack Thompson
1:36pm* Jed Morgan
1:58pm Nick Voke (NZ)
Recent champion: Mun Do-yeob
Past Aussie winners: Mike Clayton (1984)
Prizemoney: KRW1.3b
TV times: Live 2pm-6pm Thursday, Friday on Fox Sports 503; Live 1pm-4:30pm Saturday on Fox Sports 505; Live 1pm-5pm Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo Sports.
Epson Tour
Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic
TPC Scottsdale (Champions Cse), Scottsdale, Arizona
12am* Jess Whitting
1:50am Fiona Xu (NZ)
5:34am* Caitlin Peirce
5:56am* Jennifer Elliott
Recent champion: Sophia Popov
Past Aussie winners: Gabriela Ruffels (2023)
Prizemoney: $US400,000
Japan Golf Tour
Chunichi Crowns
Nagoya Golf Club (Wago Cse), Aichi
9:10am Michael Hendry (NZ)
1:10pm* Brad Kennedy
Recent champion: Yosuke Asaji
Past Aussie winners: David Graham (1976), Graham Marsh (1977, 1981), Greg Norman (1989), Peter Senior (1993), Roger Mackay (1994), Brendan Jones (2011)
Prizemoney: ¥110m
