Tiger Woods’ ex-coach issues 2-word response to data that claims Scottie Scheffler is better than Rory McIlroy

Former swing coach of Tiger Woods, Hank Haney, gave a short but clear response to a recent golf ranking debate on social media. Golf writer Matt Vincenzi posted on X a list of the world’s top four players, according to Data Golf.

The list named Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, and Jon Rahm in that order. He wrote:

"Data Golf has the top 4 players in the world listed correctly."

Haney reacted to the post by reposting it with a two-word statement:

"Seems accurate."

Scottie Scheffler currently holds the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). Rory McIlroy, who recently won the 2025 Masters to complete his career Grand Slam, now sits at World No. 2 after overtaking Xander Schauffele.

Bryson DeChambeau, placed third in the Data Golf rankings, is ranked No. 13 in the OWGR. Jon Rahm, meanwhile, is currently ranked 77th after moving to LIV Golf, which doesn’t earn points in the OWGR system.

Data Golf ranks players based on recent stats like strokes gained and strength of field. It is updated daily and doesn’t rely on a two-year rolling window like OWGR does. As a result, many experts and fans consider Data Golf’s rankings to be a more accurate reflection of current form.

The OWGR system, on the other hand, awards points over a two-year period and has faced criticism, especially with LIV Golf events not earning points, affecting players like Rahm and DeChambeau.

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Scottie Scheffler ranks above Rory McIlroy despite having just one win in 2025 so far

Scottie Scheffler remains World No. 1 in both the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and Data Golf rankings, even though Rory McIlroy has secured three wins in 2025 compared to the American's one.

Scheffler has played in nine events this season, while McIlroy has made seven starts. McIlroy won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where Scheffler finished T9. At the Genesis Invitational, Scheffler placed T3 and McIlroy finished T17.

At the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Scheffler tied for 11th and McIlroy tied for 15th. McIlroy went on to win The Players Championship, while Scheffler finished T20. The Northern Irishman also placed T5 at the Texas Children's Houston Open, where Scheffler was runner-up.

Then at the Masters Tournament, McIlroy completed his grand slam winning the event, while the defending champion Scottie Scheffler finished fourth. Scheffler followed up with a T8 at the RBC Heritage, while McIlroy finished T12 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Most recently, Scheffler won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, where McIlroy did not compete.

Despite having fewer wins, Scheffler leads McIlroy in Total Strokes Gained this season, with Scheffler at 2.394 and McIlroy at 2.319.