Rory McIlroy is a global golfer. His passport is evidence.
He’s spent a few weeks in California and Florida. He’s gone to Ohio and Missouri. He’s also played in the United Arab Emirates, Scotland, England, Ireland and India, too. A trip next month to Australia is also coming. And all of that is just this year.
But is he a global ambassador of golf?
“I guess that’s an added bonus,” he said.
And Wednesday, that began a defense of Scottie Scheffler. In his press conference ahead of this week’s Abu Dhabi Aldar Golf Championship, McIlroy said he’s “seen criticism” of Scheffler’s American-based schedule — and he believes that’s wrong.
Scheffler, McIlroy said, has done enough.
“I don’t want to sit up here on my high horse and say, ‘ambassador,’” McIlroy said. “I do it because I enjoy the travel. I went to India for the first time last year. I enjoy going to Australia. I love coming back to the Middle East. …
“But people have their own decisions to make and their own lives, and I’ve seen criticism of Scottie Scheffler because Scottie doesn’t play — but that’s his decision. If he doesn’t want to, that’s his prerogative. I think Scottie being Scottie is good enough for the world of golf, and he doesn’t need to travel all over the world because he’s got a young family, and that doesn’t bring value to his life; where I like travel, it’s all I’ve known.”
This year, Scheffler has played in 20 events, and two of them have been outside of the U.S. — the Scottish Open and the Open Championship, which was played in England. (He’s also scheduled to play next month in the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.) But should the world’s top-ranked golfer travel more? The question will be asked of whoever is No. 1; Scheffler is no exception.
In September, the conversation restarted after a column by Golf Monthly’s Nick Bonfield with a headline that read: “It’s time we start criticizing Scottie Scheffler for his aversion to leaving America … Is he doing enough as a global ambassador?” — the publication’s X post of the opinion piece has drawn 1.3 million views, 831 comments and 151 and reposts.
As for Scheffler’s thoughts, he was asked at the Scottish Open whether a potential fall international schedule would interest him, and where he would be interested in playing.
“It definitely interests me,” he said. “I’d like to see how it shapes out the next couple of years. There’s a lot of places I think I’d like to play.
“There’s always just the time and the place for me. I’m at a time in my life where I have a young family at home and young kids. Those are times — the fall is a special time for our family. It’s where we can really check out and be together, and I get to spend a lot of time with my kids. So I hold those moments pretty sacred.
“But at the same time, I love golf and I would love to be able to play more internationally. Like Australia; New Zealand is a place we would love to be able to go to. My wife has always wanted to go to New Zealand.
“But like I said, I love this style of golf, and I feel like it’s pretty unique to here. But going to play the Sandbelt in Australia would be pretty special as well. Hopefully I can find the time. It’s definitely an intriguing part of the schedule, and yeah, it definitely interests me, as well.”
On Wednesday, McIlroy said all of that is Scheffler’s choice.
“I’ve traveled the world since I was 16,” he said. “I don’t know any different. That’s just what I like to do, and it’s not out of any feeling of responsibility to the game or trying to be an ambassador.
“It’s just because I enjoy doing it.”
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