Scottie Scheffler leaves Rory McIlroy behind as early odds for the 2026 Masters come to light

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are currently the leading names on the Official World Golf Rankings. The PGA Tour pros have often engaged in head-to-head clashes, be it in the Ryder Cup Singles or the majors. In a new metric, Scheffler seems to outshine McIlroy.

As the year inches closer to its conclusion, a new season awaits the golfers and the fans. There are still months left before the 2026 Masters in Augusta. However, today, Golf Digest has shared some fresh numbers for the upcoming Masters, instilling hope in the minds of Scottie Scheffler's fans.

In a new X (previously Twitter) post by Golf Digest, a list of odds regarding the major in Augusta has come to light. According to them, Rory McIlroy sits in the second spot with 5-1 odds of winning the 2026 Masters. Above the Northern Irishman sits Scottie Scheffler with 2-1 odds of winning the Green Jacket next year.

Apart from Scheffler and McIlroy, the list contains names of notable major champions like Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Shane Lowry. Take a look:

• Scottie Scheffler: 3-1
• Rory McIlroy: 5-1
• Xander Schauffele: 11-1
• Bryson DeChambeau: 12-1
• Ludvig Aberg: 14-1
• Jon Rahm: 14-1
• Collin Morikawa: 18-1
• Justin Thomas: 25-1
• Tommy Fleetwood: 30-1
• Jordan Spieth: 35-1
• Joaquin Niemann: 35-1
• Viktor Hovland: 35-1
• Tyrrell Hatton: 35-1
• Shane Lowry: 40-1
• Patrick Cantlay: 40-1
• Hideki Matsuyama: 40-1
• Russell Henley: 50-1
• Brooks Koepka: 50-1
• Min Woo Lee: 55-1
• Cameron Young: 55-1
• Will Zalatoris: 55-1

This year, Scottie Scheffler was the defending Masters Champion. He had a strong start on the opening day after he carded 4 under par 68. On Day 2, the World Number 1 was still in contention as he recorded a 1 under par 71. The moving day witnessed the Texan pro secure a decent 72. Although Scottie fought well in the final and carded 69 (-3), he finished in fourth place.

This year, fans in Augusta saw Rory McIlroy receive the Green Jacket from Scottie Scheffler. The PGA Tour veteran had a bumpy start in the major, where he scored 72 in round 1. McIlroy secured a bogey-free second round (66), followed by another decent round on Saturday (66). After tying for the top spot, he defeated Justin Rose in a sudden-death playoff.

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"Tried to stay out of the way" - When Scottie Scheffler shared his honest take on Rory McIlroy's Masters victory

Shortly after McIlroy won the 2025 Masters, he was greeted with congratulatory messages across the globe. Talking about his fellow PGA Tour pro's career milestone, the World Number 1 revealed the reason behind his early exit from the stage. While speaking to the press, Scottie Scheffler said (as quoted by Sports Illustrated):

"In that moment... it was such an emotional day for [Rory], kind of just tried to stay out of the way and basically get the jacket on without embarrassing him or myself."

While talking about how he enjoyed McIlroy's victory celebrations, Scheffler admitted that he watched till the end.

"I got to watch the whole celebration. I watched the finish. It was really cool for me to be able to see..."

Rory McIlroy won the Masters for the first time this year. By winning the career grand slam, the Northern Irishman became the sixth member of the exclusive club of Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

Edited by Pravashis Biswas