Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are the two most dominant figures in the professional game right now, and they have been for quite some time now.
Interestingly, PGA Tour player Joel Dahmen has floated a bold theory about both McIlroy and world number one Scheffler‘s futures in the game.
Scheffler and McIlroy push each other to the limit as far as motivating one another is concerned.
Who is the better player: Rory McIlroy or Scottie Scheffler?
Both players have already cemented themselves as Hall of Fame golfers.
However, their work is far from done, and they will have many more milestones that they both want to reach.
In spite of that, Dahmen thinks both players’ time on the PGA Tour could be short-lived in comparison to the greats of years gone by.
Joel Dahmen suggests Rory McIlroy could retire from golf within four years
The popular PGA Tour player is convinced that golfers’ careers may be shorter now than they were 30, 20 or even 10 years ago.
Joel Dahmen was a guest on Trey Wingo’s ‘Straight Facts Homie’ Podcast, and discussed the current state of the professional game.
Dahmen was asked about how PGA Tour careers could go on for longer now, due to better technology and improved fitness and diets.
“I’d be curious to see the numbers.
“So there are guys that do that (play well into their 40s and 50s).
“I don’t know if that’s necessarily technology that is keeping these guys in the game longer. They can still, you know, hit it as far type thing with the new technology.
“Better teaching out there, obviously, you know way more about fitness, and, you know, taking care of our bodies better than ever before.
“So, because all of that, if you continue to put that all into play, then you can do that.
“I am also going to be wondering here in the next 10 years as golfers are making more than they’ve ever made, you’re looking at guys who are clipping off 10, 15, 25 million a year.
“Are they gonna want to be playing past 40 anymore?
“It used to be you kind of had to play past 40 if you could, and you just continue to grind all the way to the Champions Tour.
“Now, I think you’re gonna see shorter golf careers as this first batch of, you know, I don’t know what’s Scottie?
“I do look at at these guys, like, he’s not even 30.
“I mean, Rory, let’s call him 35, 36 maybe?
“Yeah, so, I mean, he’s worth, I think he’s gonna be the next billionaire or something out there.
“It’s like, is he gonna want to play after 40? I would be curious to see a lot of these guys won’t even continue on that path.
“I don’t think they will, because they’ve done everything they can in the game, and they have enough money that it doesn’t matter anymore.“
Dahmen is missing the point with his prediction about McIlroy and Scheffler
Dahmen is correct in the sense that PGA Tour players today are earning so much money that they won’t have to play up to and beyond their 50th birthdays anymore.
However, players like McIlroy and Scheffler are not competing for money.
They are competing to create history and to cement their legacies.
Who will win more on the PGA Tour in 2026 out of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood?
Will anyone end 2026 with more PGA Tour wins than Scottie?
I’ll go with 5 wins for Scheffler and 3 for Tommy. Rory to win 2, but they’ll be big
The Northern Irishman and the American both have grand designs to be remembered as top-5 golfers in the history of the game.
I can almost guarantee that neither McIlroy nor Scheffler will retire from playing competitively before they are 50.
The burning desire to win the biggest events and elevate their standing in the game is not something that will go away purely because they have more money than they will ever need.
While Dahmen’s comments may prove to be correct with middle of the road golfers in the 50-100th in the world ranking category, he’s simply missed the mark with his claim about McIlroy and Scheffler.