Scottie Scheffler Cheers for Rory McIlroy’s Lucky Break at Tour Championship

ATLANTA, Ga. — During the opening round of the 2025 Tour Championship, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, the top two players in the FedEx Cup standings, shared a pairing that kept fans on the edge of their seats.

While both golfers experienced high points, a remarkable turning point came on the 18th hole when McIlroy received an incredible break that turned a potential disaster into a birdie. Despite competing against each other for the FedEx Cup title and a $10 million bonus, Scheffler found himself surprisingly rooting for McIlroy.

As McIlroy battled through a challenging round, he faced trouble after landing in the left rough on 18. Attempting to reach the green in two, he ended up in a bunker. His subsequent shot bladed over the green, striking a grandstand before ricocheting back onto the green and resting 17 feet from the hole. McIlroy made the putt, finishing the round with a score of four under par.

Scheffler, who began his day with birdies at holes 2 and 3 and finished strong with a birdie on 18, had already achieved a score of seven under. As the rain threatened to halt play, he admitted that his concern for McIlroy’s situation stemmed from the potential for a tricky rules issue if the round did not finish on time.

“I have never rooted so hard for somebody’s ball to come back,” Scheffler said following the round. “Bones told us they were going to blow the horn at any second, so I was watching his ball fly towards the grandstand. I was relieved when I saw it come back on the green.”

Both players demonstrated skill throughout the round, with McIlroy starting strong with an eagle on the sixth hole. After two bogeys and two birdies on the back nine, he ended with a score of three under until his lucky shot on 18.

As Scheffler reflected on the near chaos of the moment, he praised McIlroy’s luck and skill. “Pretty lucky in the end,” McIlroy remarked, acknowledging the significance of finishing the round despite the impending storm.

Scheffler finished the day with a score of 63, setting the stage for an exciting competition ahead as the tournament progresses.