Thirty-eight years ago, Seve Ballesteros set the European golf standard with six Order of Merit titles. Colin Montgomerie later shattered that with eight. Now Rory McIlroy is coming for both their legacies. The debate intensified during a November 26, 2025, Golf Channel podcast. Hosts Rex Hoggard and Ryan Lavner made a compelling case. Despite Scottie Scheffler‘s statistical dominance, McIlroy deserves the Golf Writers Association of America Player of the Year award.

“Statistically, Scottie Scheffler was decisively the best player. But if you’re looking from a personal satisfaction way of thinking or if you’re looking at it from a historic or a legendary performance, that was Rory McIlroy’s 2025,” Lavner said.

The numbers tell one story. Scheffler remained World No. 1 all season. He won the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. He claimed the Open Championship. He led the tour in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and Strokes Gained: Approach. Six total victories painted a picture of relentless excellence.

But McIlroy’s season told a different story entirely.

He completed the career Grand Slam at Augusta National in April. The playoff victory over Justin Rose made him just the sixth player in history to achieve that feat. He also captured his second Players Championship. Then came the Amgen Irish Open in September. Most significantly, he led Team Europe to a historic 15-13 Ryder Cup victory at Bethpage Black against hostile New York crowds.

“He faced down New York fans at their worst, and he continues to rise,” Hoggard said. The podcast hosts emphasized a crucial distinction. The Golf Writers Association award considers global impact. It values narrative achievements alongside statistical excellence. That’s where McIlroy’s season gains crucial separation.

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Rory McIlroy’s chase of Colin Montgomerie’s European golf record

His seventh Order of Merit title became the centerpiece of this argument. McIlroy surpassed Ballesteros’s six titles. He now sits just one behind Montgomerie’s record of eight. He finished nearly 2,000 points clear of runner-up Marco Penge despite losing the DP World Tour Championship playoff to Matt Fitzpatrick.

“I’m coming for you. I’m coming to get your stuff,” McIlroy said about chasing Montgomerie’s record.

That’s what McIlroy said about chasing Montgomerie’s record. Yet the season didn’t unfold smoothly. Following his Masters triumph, McIlroy entered a turbulent period. His driver failed a pre-tournament test at the PGA Championship in May. The failure was leaked to the media despite confidentiality protocols. What frustrated him most? Scheffler’s driver also failed the test. But that news never went public.

McIlroy finished T47 at Quail Hollow. He refused media interviews for weeks. He missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open. The podcast hosts acknowledged this slump directly.

“There was probably a month, maybe even two months when you and I sat on this very podcast and talked about Rory’s probably mailing it in a little bit. He wasn’t talking to us. He didn’t seem to be very interested,” the hosts recalled.

Then something changed. McIlroy found his motivation again through the DP World Tour. He won the Irish Open in September. He performed brilliantly at the Ryder Cup, earning 3.5 points overall despite losing to Scheffler in Sunday singles. He returned to Europe and dominated the season-long standings.

The hosts believe this dedication separates McIlroy from Scheffler in the global Player of the Year conversation. Analysts have suggested McIlroy’s transformative accomplishments resonate more deeply than pure statistics.  His commitment to supporting the tour where his career started matters.

“This is where I started my career and this is that a thing that I’m going to support as I’m in the later years of my career,” McIlroy said about his DP World Tour dedication. Now entering his age-37 season, McIlroy has identified clear targets. He wants a fourth FedEx Cup title. He wants to surpass Montgomerie’s eight Order of Merit crowns. Most importantly, he wants to become the greatest and the winningest European player ever.

“You can write an entire book on Rory McIlroy’s 2025. It’s just not going to be about the Masters,” Hoggard concluded.

The Masters was the beginning. Not the end.