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‘Filled with lies’ – Wild Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy rumour sends golf pundit into furious argument
Twitter or X, isn’t the best place for arguments these days, unless you’re a golf fan.
The social media platform staged an almighty tussle between two pundits over the weekend’s Farmers Insurance Open.
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Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler may be shocked to see their names dragged into the debateCredit: Getty The event that runs from January 22 to 25 has seen a big name pull out in the shape of world No.5 Collin Morikawa.
Responding to the news, podcaster Jay Aaron (@ProGolfCritic) suggested that Morikawa and other top PGA Tour players pulling out of events wasn’t a coincidence in the current climate.
The PGA reportedly agreed the framework of a deal with LIV Golf in June to bring the breakaway Saudi league into the mainstream and end the current civil war.
Players have been defecting to the mega money league since its inception and have been banned from major events as a response.
A £1billion merger deal could put an end to that, but with no updates since June, Aaron thinks something fishy is afoot given some recent high-profile withdrawals.
“I had heard unsubstantiated rumors that some top players were going to hold out of tournaments until this deal got done,” he wrote.
“So now Scottie [Scheffler], Rory [McIlroy], Xander [Schauffele] & Morikawa have either not played/WD’d [withdrawn] from 2025 PGAT events.
“They are currently 1-2-3-4 in OWGR [Official World Golf Rankings]. Purely coincidental I’m sure.”
That theory didn’t go down particularly well with retired PGA Tour golfer-turned-pundit Colt Knost.
Knost replied: “Xander and Collin both played in Maui. Rory is in the Middle East. Scottie had hand surgery.
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Aaron’s comment caused plenty of debate 
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And Knolst wasn’t having any of it “Why are you trying to stir things up? Maybe you’re the corrupt one!”
The back and forth continued with Knost referring to an incorrect call from Aaron that Tony Finau was joining LIV, which he defended saying he never claimed it was 100 per cent happening.
But then Knost shut down the topic in brutal fashion, saying: “The tweet I responded to of yours was filled with lies.
“I know it might ruin your Sunday but it’s okay to admit when you’re wrong.”
Aaron then turned to a lack of transparency over why players are dropping out of events, to which Knost had a similarly comprehensive reaction.
“So if a player had a family emergency, a funeral, a wedding to attend etc…..they should have to tell you??? Why? It’s none of your business,” he wrote.
Gutted Rory McIlroy gives three-minute speech warning Tom McKibbin to change his mind on LIV golf proposalThings continued to go on between the two as they replied to each other on X regarding the topic – bringing up Jon Rahm.
Rahm was one of the first major stars to leave the PGA Tour for LIV.
“I’ve also said Rahm was going when you were in complete denial,” Aaron stated.
To which Knost replied: “Never in denial. At first, I didn’t think Rahm would go.
“But when someone gets offered astronomical money to go i don’t blame them. I wait to hear from the players.
“Not some people that just guess and hope they are right.”
Aaron replied again, writing: “Then why aren’t Xander & Collin not playing when they committed to playing previously and played in Maui (as you mentioned) and played TGL more recently?
“End the speculation! Tell the TOUR to be transparent and not lie. But you can’t bc it’s not possible for them to do that.”
And Knost once again clapped back to say that players don’t have to let everyone know what they’re doing publicly.
“They don’t have to give you a reason why they are or aren’t playing. If they want to release that then they can!
“Their lives aren’t an open book. Not sure why you would think that it should be,” he finished.
Rumours have been swirling in the golf community about a supposed feud between rising star Wild Scottie Scheffler and seasoned pro Rory McIlroy. The speculation reached a fever pitch when a well-known golf pundit went on a tirade, accusing Scheffler and McIlroy of spreading lies and creating unnecessary drama.The pundit, known for his no-nonsense approach and sharp tongue, lambasted both players for their alleged behavior, calling them out for being immature and unprofessional. He went on to say that the golf world should be focused on talent and sportsmanship, not petty rivalries and false accusations.
As the controversy continues to unfold, fans are left wondering what really happened between Scheffler and McIlroy. Were the rumours simply a case of miscommunication or are there deeper tensions at play? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure – this scandal has left the golfing community divided and filled with lies.
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Wild Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, golf, pundit, rumour, argument, lies, controversy, sports, professional golf, PGA Tour, golf news, feud, speculation, scandal.
#Filled #lies #Wild #ScottieScheffler #Rory #McIlroy #rumour #sends #golf #pundit #furious #argumentRory McIlroy makes weekend at Desert Classic but Rahm and Hovland exit | Golf
For a spell on Friday afternoon the organisers of the Dubai Desert Classic had cause for panic. Jon Rahm had already tumbled out of the tournament after 36 holes, Viktor Hovland was heading the same way and Rory McIlroy was dangerously close to the cut line. Not for the first time at the Emirates Club, McIlroy saved the day; a birdie at the 18th meant he survived for the weekend with three shots to spare. Given McIlroy’s specialism here – he is seeking a third win in a row – a deficit of nine to the leader, Ewen Ferguson, is unlikely to faze the Northern Irishman.
Rahm’s struggles on his first start of 2025 and debut in this tournament caused widespread shock. The Spaniard’s second round of 77, including two double bogeys, contrasted sharply with a 69 on Thursday. “Not the way you want to start the year,” the 2023 Masters champion admitted.
“But if there’s any positive side of it, it is the beginning of the year. There’s a lot of golf and a lot of months to look forward to. I have a pretty clear idea of what I need to work on. For these next two weeks, I will go home and try to get better.
“I wouldn’t say that there was anything that went well. No part of the game today was even average compared to what I would like to feel.”
Ten out of 10 for candour. Rahm also admirably refused to criticise anything about the event itself. Indeed he plans to return despite this early exit. “I absolutely love the golf course, absolutely love the setup,” he added. “There is nothing I could say that is bad about this tournament.
“You don’t usually see rough that long and thick outside of major championships. So I think it shows the test which is proper. If the schedule allows, I would like to be here next year and hopefully get some redemption.”
Jon Rahm said there was no part of his game he was happy with as he missed the cut. Photograph: Ali Haider/EPA An ice-cold putter was largely responsible for McIlroy’s low-key round of 71. As he bogeyed the 15th to slide to minus two, there were some anxious glances. “They are really tricky,” said McIlroy of the greens. “There’s a lot of grain, a lot of grain going different ways, double breakers. I felt like I was hitting pretty good putts and burned a lot of edges. So I just have to keep trying to make committed strokes and make good reads. Hopefully, sooner or later they are going to drop.”
McIlroy will have the opportunity to make early headway on day three. Hovland’s 73 meant he departed at plus four. The Norwegian’s game clearly remains in a state of flux, which already raises questions over Ryder Cup participation later this year.
Ferguson finished with a flourish in fading light. The Dubai-based Scot hit an approach to the 18th that was bound for Sharjah before rebounding from a stand to within 5ft of the hole. An eagle followed, his 65 moving him one clear of Daniel Hillier at minus 12. Tyrrell Hatton lurks at eight under par.
Rory McIlroy makes the cut and advances to the weekend at the Desert Classic, while young stars Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland exit early. McIlroy, a four-time major champion, showed his experience and skill as he navigated the challenging course to secure his spot in the final rounds.Meanwhile, Rahm and Hovland, two rising stars in the world of golf, were unable to make the cut and will be watching from the sidelines. Despite their early exit, both players have shown immense potential and are sure to bounce back in future tournaments.
As the action heats up at the Desert Classic, all eyes will be on McIlroy as he looks to make his mark and compete for the title. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting tournament.
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Rahm misses cut, McIlroy struggles, Ferguson leads at Dubai Desert Classic
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland missed the cut and Rory McIlroy was forced to battle to make the weekend as the headline acts struggled at the Dubai Desert Classic.
Ewen Ferguson was taking full advantage.
Ferguson, a Scot ranked No. 141, shot 7-under 65 and was the unlikely leader by one stroke after the second round of the prestigious European tour event on Friday.
Ferguson jumped into the lead courtesy of a huge slice of fortune late in the day at the par-5 18th hole, where he overhit his second shot but saw the ball rebound off a big advertising board and back onto the green, settling 5 feet from the pin. He holed the eagle putt to move to 12 under for the week.
David Hillier of New Zealand, who is ranked No. 223, also shot 65 to be in second place and the only player within three strokes of Ferguson. No. 17-ranked Tyrrell Hatton (65) was in a three-way tie for third place on 8 under.
Rahm (77), a two-time major winner now playing on the breakaway LIV Golf circuit, and No. 8-ranked Hovland (73) were headed home early after a difficult two days at Emirates Golf Club, where changing winds, thick rough and testing pin placements made for tough conditions.
“I wouldn’t say that there was anything that went well,” said Rahm, who has dropped to No. 31 in the rankings. “No part of the game today was even average to what I would like to feel.”
McIlroy will be hanging around but doesn’t look to be in the form needed, especially with the putter, to win the tournament for a third straight year.
The No. 3-ranked Northern Irishman cut a forlorn figure over the final few holes, barely raising a smile even when making birdie at No. 18 to shoot 71 and be on 3-under par for the tournament.
McIlroy was nine strokes off the lead, having made only 39 feet of putts in his entire second round.
“A little frustrated,” McIlroy said. “But I thought the conditions were a little tricky.”
However, McIlroy was buoyed when reminded he was 10 strokes behind after 36 holes last year before going on to repeat as champion.
“I’d say the winning score isn’t going to be much above what the leader is right now, especially the way the course is going to play over the weekend, and the way especially this golf course has played over the weekend the last couple years,” McIlroy said.
“The greens will continue to get a little bit firmer, and will put such a premium on putting it in the fairway and hitting a lot of greens. If I can focus on that over the weekend, get a couple of putts to drop, I think I’ve still got a decent chance.”
Ferguson is a three-time winner on the European tour, his most recent victory coming at the BMW International Open in July.
In a surprising turn of events at the Dubai Desert Classic, defending champion Jon Rahm missed the cut after struggling in the second round. The Spaniard, who was considered one of the favorites to win the tournament, failed to make it to the weekend after shooting a disappointing 76 in the second round.Meanwhile, former world number one Rory McIlroy also had a tough time on the course, finishing the second round with a 74 to put him well behind the leaders. The Northern Irishman, who has had a strong start to the season, will need a strong finish in the final two rounds to have a chance at contending for the title.
On the other hand, American golfer Keith Ferguson has taken the lead at the Dubai Desert Classic after a solid performance in the first two rounds. Ferguson has been consistent off the tee and on the greens, and will be looking to maintain his lead heading into the weekend.
With Rahm out of the picture and McIlroy struggling, the tournament is wide open and anything can happen in the final two rounds. Stay tuned for more updates on the Dubai Desert Classic as the action unfolds.
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- Ferguson leads Dubai golf tournament
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Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy interactive golf league, starts Tuesday
PALM BEACH GARDENS — When TGL launches Tuesday, inside a cavernous 250,000-square foot arena featuring a 64 x 53-foot screen and rotating green, and with 1,500 spectators experiencing an entire golf match without leaving their seats; it was all possible because of an act of God.
Not that the high-tech, simulated, interactive golf league started by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy would not have happened.
It just would not have happened like this.
About 14 months ago, with construction started on TGL’s original arena, a storm blew through northern Palm Beach County, collapsing the domed roof and delaying the league’s start by a year. No one was injured.
Now, with a redesigned arena made of steel that includes a traditional roof instead of a bubble, the consensus is that storm was the best thing that could have happened to TGL.
“I think it was a blessing in disguise,” said Woods, a Jupiter Island resident. “We were rushing to get it ready. I don’t think we had all the components we have now, and we certainly didn’t have the technology we’re able to have now. It worked out for the best for us as players, for the fans, and I think for everyone watching.
“We’re going to be able to deliver a better experience, and I think without that storm that would not have happened.”
Tiger Woods’ first meeting about TGL was four years ago
When New York Golf Club meets The Bay GC Tuesday at the SoFi Center on the campus of Palm Beach State College in TGL’s inaugural match, it will be the culmination of years of planning for this unique concept.
TGL is the brainchild of Mike McCarley, who brought the concept to Woods and McIlroy. McCarley founded TMRW Sports in 2022 along with Woods and McIlroy. Although TGL is their first project, the idea for the indoor league was first discussed in December 2020.
“When Mike McCarley and Tiger and I sat down and talked about this idea I was like, yeah, this seems like a really good idea and it would be fun to be part of,” said McIlroy, who lives in Jupiter.
“Then once you actually try to get your arms around what you’re going to do, it turned into a massive undertaking. And it’s been really cool to see it go from just that idea when we talked in Tiger’s office until it’s real now and it’s about to launch. And we’re really excited for that.”
Technology was at the foundation of TGL, which stands for TMRW Golf League, but it’s much more. It’s integrating a tech-infused league with real-time golf, while giving fans the ultimate up-close-and-personal experience, fitting it all into the schedule of the world’s greatest golfers and allowing it be TV-friendly.
All of that was accomplished, including a partnership with ESPN, which will televise every match – 15 regular season, two semifinals and a best-of-three finals – fitting each into a two-hour window.
“When someone hears about us being simulator golf (and thinks) it’s maybe a little gimmicky, it’s not that,” Billy Horschel said. “We’re hitting off real grass. We’re hitting real shots. We’re playing on some artificial surface, but there’s a lot of technology that’s gone into this.”
More:Why Rory McIlroy believes TGL is beating LIV Golf at its own game
TGL officials traveled the world, listening to Toptracer’s pitch in Stockholm, Sweden; building labs in Orlando and suburban West Palm Beach, to test every aspect of this project before settling on the final product.
“When we started on this journey, you take a sport like golf that’s got 600 years of history and tradition and everything that comes with that, the good and the bad, and we really wanted to keep one foot firmly planted in the traditional game,” McCarley said.
“But with the other foot we really wanted to be trying to bring the game more into the future and embracing technology, which from the very early conversations with Tiger and Rory, both of them shared that thesis.”
Teams were formed, the league settled on six representing Boston, New York, Atlanta, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Jupiter, which is co-owned by Woods.
The list of owners includes high-profile businesspeople and athletes. Such names as Arthur Blank (Atlanta), John Henry and the Fenway Group (Boston), Serena and Venus Williams and Giannis Antetokounmpo (L.A.), Steven Cohen (New York), Stephen Curry and Marc Lasry (The Bay).
The buy-in for each ownership group was around $50 million. And 54% of TGL would be owned by TMRW Sports, 18% by the PGA Tour which bought in, 18% by team owners and the remaining 10% would be player equity.
TGL was successful in recruiting a roster of 24 golfers that includes seven of the top 10 in the current world ranking (including No. 3 McIlroy), and half of the top 30.
What was in it for them? The purse for the first season is $21 million and the winning team will earn $9 million or $2.25 million per player. Team payouts for second through sixth: $4.5 million, $2.25 million, $2 million, $1.75 million and $1.5 million.
“From the very beginning, I was excited about it,” Horschel said. “But me, I love the game of golf, I felt like this is another way to bring golf to people that have never played golf, that haven’t really watched golf.”
Mic’d up golfers could make for spicy conversation
With money and a trophy (SoFi Cup) at stake, the competitive side of these athletes will emerge. But they also realize TGL has an entertainment component.
“It’s going to be really competitive,” Horschel said. “We’re competitors. We want to win. But we also have to be entertainers at the same time. I think everyone who has signed up to be a part of this is aware of that, and they’re going to do their part to make sure this is successful.”
With every golfer mic’d up, both the serious and entertaining side of each golfer could surface for all to hear.
Players discussing strategy as they dissect each shot and each hole while looking at their “digital caddies” will be on blast.
“People are going to see our personalities,” Wyndham Clark said. “Some things could come out that maybe we don’t want to say. But that’s how other sports are.
“I’m going to have to really watch my cussing, but on our team, Shane Lowry. He has some cuss words on trigger pretty quick, so he’s going to have to really watch himself.”
McCarley likens the fan experience to that of sitting courtside at an NBA game or along the boards in an NHL arena.
“So the idea of in a way demystifying the sport,” McCarley said. “Not just because the technology and the cameras but hearing directly from the players about, ‘Here is what I am trying to do and here’s why, and now watch me do it.’
“And sometimes they do it and sometimes they don’t.”
There will be plenty of strategizing, thanks to the 30 different holes designed by three companies –including Palm Beach Gardens-based Nicklaus Design – and a turntable that changes the position of the green and the three real bunkers surrounding the green.
Some of those holes you could find on a real golf course. Others are only possible in the simulated world.
Players will be much more inclined to take risks, especially on holes built into canyons or surrounded by water, than they would during a PGA Tour event.
“The last thing we want to do is make ourselves look like idiots on live TV in prime time, duffing a chip or skulling something, which is going to happen,” Horschel said. “Someone is going to skull a bunker shot into the crowd and it’s going to be awesome. But you don’t want to be that guy that does it the first time.”
Each TGL match will start with the golfers hitting their tee shot off a platform into a giant screen 35 yards away. Approach shots will be hit from an area 21 yards from the screen. That forward platform is used once the simulator says the ball is 140 yards from the green.
The platforms consist of real fairway grass and sand and contains three hitting areas of fairway grass, rough grass and sand, each 7 x 7 feet.
“The playing surfaces are very realistic,” McIlroy said. “Whenever you hit it out of the rough, you have to think about whether you’re going to get a flyer; whether it’s going to come out soft. A lot of things that you would have to think about on a real golf course.”
Once the ball has reached the green area a spotlight shines on the spot where the ball must be placed. The players then chip and putt as if playing on a regular course. Under the green are about 600 actuators that will alter the undulations for each hole, and a turntable that changes the position of the green and the three real bunkers that surround the green.
“The rotating green blew me away,” Woods said. “I’ve never seen a rotating green.”
Those bunkers contain the same silky white sand used at Augusta National for the Masters.
Beware of the shot clock and the Hammer
Each hole has a value of one point, except when the Hammer is thrown.
One team starts each match holding a Hammer. The Hammer can be used at any time and when it’s accepted the value of that hole is increased by one point. If a team declines to accept the Hammer it forfeits the hole.
The Hammer changes possession each time it is used and it may be used multiple times during a single hole.
“Anyone that plays golf with their buddies and gambles at all, you know what a hammer is; you know it doubles the bet,” Clark said. “I think that makes it fun.”
With each match having to fit into a two-hour television window, the league will feature a 40-second shot clock. Each player will have 40 seconds to hit or their team will receive a one-shot penalty.
Players will be looking directly at the countdown, which will be featured in bright red numbers on the scoreboards on either side of the screen.
“I know there’s going to be issues that guys will come across, especially guys that maybe won’t spend as much time with practice or prep because it is a pretty fast-moving thing,” Rickie Fowler said. “There’s going to be some timeouts used.”
Prep has been a hot topic. With 11 of the league’s 24 players living in northern Palm Beach County, including the entire New York team of Fowler, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Young, SoFi Center has been a busy place.
“There’s a few of us that have quite the advantage that we live in the area so we’re able to maybe spend a little more time in there than some of the other guys,” McIlroy said.
But that will soon level out as TGL dives deep into a season that will last through March 25.
“There’s going to be a lot of cool things as we go into the season,” Horschel said. “I think you’re going to see guys get more comfortable. They’re going to learn more about everything that’s going on, feel more comfortable with the production and everything.
“And I think guys are going to open up more and there’s going to be more fun things, but there are things that we can do to sort of get the crowd more involved and make it more entertaining for the viewers at home watching on TV.”
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
Get ready golf fans, the highly anticipated Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy interactive golf league is set to kick off this Tuesday!This groundbreaking league will see two of the sport’s biggest stars go head-to-head in a series of virtual golf matches, where fans can interact and make decisions that will impact the outcome of each round.
Whether you’re team Tiger or team Rory, this is sure to be an exciting and immersive experience for golf enthusiasts everywhere. So mark your calendars and get ready to tee off with these legends of the game. Let the games begin! #TigerVsRory #InteractiveGolfLeague #GolfFansUnite
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