Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler warned about golfer who could become 'a force'

Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler have been warned by Padraig Harrington about one golfer who could become a "force" in the future.

Despite his 10-year wait for a major, McIlroy remains one of the most consistent golfers of his generation and the Northern Irishman remains a huge draw on the golf scene.

Likewise, Scheffler is the currently the world no 1 on the Official World Golf ranking and the American star has won seven tournaments this year to cap an impressive 12 months.

But the pair have been warned that Xander Schauffele could pose a growing threat to their dominance in the coming years after winning The Open and PGA Championship this year.

Discussing McIlroy's achievements and failures in his illustrious career, Harrington questioned why any golfer wouldn't want to swap places with the PGA Tour star.

"Wouldn’t you love to be in his position? What’s wrong with Rory?” Harrington said, speaking to the Irish Independent.

He continued: "Who wouldn’t swap with him? Well, maybe Scottie [Scheffler] wouldn’t. Xander [Schauffele] looks like he’ll be a force going forward.

"But outside of that, you might say Bryson [DeChambeau] or Brooks Koepka mightn’t swap with him, but they should!"

Harrington, now 53, has been a close ally for the Briton in the wake of his struggles to secure his elusive fifth major, especially with how the Masters have slipped from his grasp.

And the Irishman praised how the McIlroy, 35, has been performing in 2024: “Unbelievable,” he said, when asked to describe McIlroy's form.

“He’s driving it great. He seems very comfortable with that. He chips it unbelievable.

"His putting is the best it’s been, he’s putted great the last three, four years.”

McIlroy will be heading into 2025 with his sights firmly set on ending his long wait for a Masters title. It remains the lone tournament that stands between McIlroy becoming the sixth player in the history of the game to complete the career grand slam.

But Harrington is well aware that there are a number of golfers eager to take him all the way, from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf, with Scheffler, Schauffele and DeChambeau some of the players name-checked by the Irish veteran.

“I’d say it will be frustrating for him,” he added. “The last while, Rory keeps coming up against guys at their peak.

"Whether it’s a Brooks, or a Bryson, a Xander, or a Scottie, he’s always there. But there’s always somebody else at the door.”