Billy Horschel backs Rory McIlroy’s stance on PGA Tour over Scottie Scheffler’s comments

Scottie Scheffler has been vocal about his concerns with the FedEx Cup playoffs leading up to the St. Jude Championship, but his views are not shared by fellow golfers Billy Horschel and Rory McIlroy.

Scheffler, currently the world No. 1 and a strong contender for the FedEx Cup title, has criticized the structure of the competition. He questions the legitimacy of calling the FedEx Cup a “season-long race” when the final outcome hinges on the BMW Championship. Despite holding a two-shot lead over double major winner Xander Schauffele, Scheffler is uneasy about the possibility that an injury could undermine his season’s hard work.

“It’s called a season-long race, but in reality, it all comes down to East Lake,” Scheffler stated. “I’ve mentioned this the last few years, and I think it’s silly. You can’t call it a season-long race and have it determined by one tournament.”

He further expressed his frustration with a hypothetical scenario: “What if I reach East Lake and my neck flares up, like it did at the Players [where he battled a neck injury for several rounds], and it doesn’t heal in time? If I have to withdraw and end up finishing 30th in the FedEx Cup, is that really reflective of the entire season? I don’t think so.”

Billy Horschel, however, disagrees with Scheffler’s assessment and aligns more with Rory McIlroy’s perspective. “I disagree with Scottie. He said it’s silly, but I don’t see it that way. The system has never solely rewarded the best player of the regular season,” Horschel said. He reflected on his own experience, “I won the 2014 FedExCup, but Rory McIlroy was clearly the best player that year, having won two majors. I started the playoffs in 69th place, missed the first cut, then finished second, won twice, and won the FedExCup. It’s like when the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl after starting the playoffs 9-7 while the Patriots were undefeated.”

Despite the ongoing debate, Scheffler remains focused on winning the title. “I’m not thinking about making a statement or anything like that, but I definitely want to win the FedEx Cup,” he said on Wednesday.

Regarding the tournament’s format, Scheffler noted, “It’s a fun tournament, but I don’t really see it as the season-long race it’s advertised as. You’ve got to find a balance between making it a good TV product and keeping it true to the season-long competition.”

He concluded with a critical observation: “As it stands, I don’t know exactly how the ratings are, but I’m certain you can’t truly call it a season-long race when everything is decided by one stroke play tournament on the same course every year.”