Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are ranked as the world’s number one and two golfers right now.

There is absolutely no debate that four-time major champion Scheffler and 2025 Masters champion McIlroy have been head and shoulders above everyone else over the past few years, although Tommy Fleetwood is beginning to enter a similar stratosphere.

The American and the Northern Irishman have been dominant figures on the PGA Tour since 2021 and on their day, they are both very hard to beat.

It has been claimed that McIlroy is capable of hitting shots that Scheffler can’t, while the 29-year-old from Dallas is more consistent in every single department of his game than his rival.

Scheffler and McIlroy have helped drive each other on, and that has been great for the game of golf.

However, who has been the best over the past four years? Scheffler has won more tournaments during that period – 19 to McIlroy’s 16 (PGA Tour and DP World Tour combined).

Scheffler has four majors to his name as well, while McIlroy only has one, although the man from Holywood, Northern Ireland, has completed the career Grand Slam in that timeframe.

Who’s been the best golfer since 2021 out of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy

What an incredibly difficult question this one is to answer.

However, PGA Tour player Byeong An took part in a Q&A session on his X account on Thursday evening, and weighed in with his opinion.

Byeong An responded to a question asked by The Golfing Gazette, pertaining to who is the better golfer out of Scheffler and McIlroy.

And the 34-year-old responded in diplomatic fashion.

He said: “Rory is one of the GOATs. Scottie is the best player by far in last 4 years.“

Byeong An is a terrific player in his own right, but he will openly admit that he is not on the same level as McIlroy and Scheffler.

If truth be known, the Northern Irishman hasn’t been able to compete with the American either over the past few years.

Scheffler has set the standards since the start of 2024, with 13 PGA Tour wins over the past 20 months.

Now the challenge for everyone else is to close the gap on the 29-year-old world number one, McIlroy included.

Rory McIlroy vs Scottie Scheffler: PGA Tour records compared

There is no doubting that Scheffler and McIlroy have achieved more than any other player in the game over the past decade or so.

Their respective PGA Tour career records make for extremely impressive reading:

Scheffler is catching McIlroy quicker than perhaps most golf fans expected him to.

The challenge for the world number two is to get his own back in 2026 by winning more than the American.

The future of professional golf is a bright one with Scheffler and McIlroy at the helm and both of them will take some stopping next season and beyond.