If Rory McIlroy is still seeking his “next Everest”, he need look no further than new Open champion Scottie Scheffler.
Even in a season when the Northern Irishman completed the career Grand Slam by winning the Masters, after claiming a second Players title and landing the Pebble Beach signature title, he trails the player now clutching the Claret Jug by a substantial margin.
McIlroy is the world’s second best player and, in that regard, the rankings do not lie. Following Scheffler’s dominant victory at Royal Portrush, his points average in the standings has risen to 20.52.
McIlroy, who shared seventh place at the Open, is 8.96 points behind. That is the difference between second in the standings and Max Greyserman, who is currently 36th.
Toppling Scheffler from his perch is a mountainous challenge and it has become the next objective for McIlroy.
The 36-year-old from Holywood, County Down, struggled for motivation in the immediate aftermath of his epic Augusta adventure. Winning the Masters and completing the career grand slam had become his be all and end all.
With the Green Jacket on his back, it took the prospect of an Open in his native Northern Ireland to bring back a sense of focus.
And, as he said, his Portrush experience gave him pretty much all he wanted, bar the Claret Jug.
“That’s just because one person was just a little bit better than the rest of us,” he stated.
