Rory McIlroy has drawn comparisons to the Dallas Cowboys ahead of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club, with his rivals gunning for the back-to-back Masters champion
08:34 ET, 14 May 2026
Rory McIlroy looks on
View 2 Images
Rory McIlroy has been likened to the Dallas Cowboys(Image: Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Brandel Chamblee believes Rory McIlroy is the Dallas Cowboys of golf, with the PGA Championship field desperate to get one over on him at Aronimink Golf Club.
Golf Channel pundit Chamblee is adamant that Scottie Scheffler remains the best player in the sport, despite a sluggish start to the season by his high standards, but much like "America's Team," McIlroy is the man that everyone wants to beat.
The six-time major champion is golf's biggest star and, at 37, he continues to dominate the narrative at every tournament. This week, all eyes have been on his right foot, specifically his pinky toe, which has hampered his preparation for the second major of the year.
Article continues below
READ MORE: Rory McIlroy brutally mocked future PGA Championship venue leaving reporters in stitchesREAD MORE: Cam Young explains decision behind using controversial new golf ball
After McIlroy successfully defended his Masters title at Augusta National last month, Chamblee expects players to be gunning for him in Philadelphia this week.
"It's interesting that you say Rory's got a target on his back," he said on 'Live from the PGA.' "Everybody's tasked with trying to beat Scottie Scheffler as the No. 1 player in the world, but it seems like more and more players want to beat Rory. Rory, to me, has more rivalries in this sport than anybody else, and almost anybody else that I can remember besides maybe Jack Nicklaus.
"In that regard, I would say that Rory, and look, I grew up in Irving, Texas, in the 70s, just a couple of miles from the stadium. Everybody wanted to beat the Cowboys. I would say Rory is analogous to the Cowboys.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for exclusive interviews with Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia and more
Former Dallas Cowboys stars Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, and Emmitt Smith react after remarks by former Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson
View 2 Images
Chamblee believes McIlroy has plenty in common with 'America's Team'(Image: Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
"The rivalries were born in the 70s. They grew to the 80s, the 90s, and they are still going big. Now, back to Rory, because I would say Rory is analogous to the Cowboys. Scottie Scheffler is the best player in the world, but it seems to me everybody wants to beat Rory."
Chamblee listed McIlroy's tussles with the likes of Scheffler, Patrick Reed, Bryson DeChambeau, and LIV Golf as a whole, and the former PGA Tour pro believes the Northern Irishman attracts the attention of other players unlike anyone else.
"I like Rory. I love rivalries. Like, I love rivalries, and golf is rich with rivalries right now. But like the Cowboys had so many, I would argue that when it comes to rivalries, Rory has the gravity of Jupiter," he said.
Chamblee's comments came 24 hours after he insisted McIlroy cannot lift the Wanamaker Trophy this week if reigning PGA champion Scheffler plays close to his best.
"Well, if Scottie plays well this week, Rory can't beat him. Scottie is so demonstrably better than everybody else, it's just not close. If Scottie plays his best golf, Rory cannot beat him," he said.
"Rory has been playing professional golf for almost 20 years. If you cherry-pick his best year — it might be last year, it might be '19, it might be 14', it might be '12 — he's still not as good as Scottie Scheffler.
Article continues below
"Scottie Scheffler is off his game considerably this year. It's the worst golf he's played in five years, and he's still miles ahead of everybody else, and that includes Rory. We've not seen what we're seeing in Scottie Scheffler. You're talking about as close to Tiger Woods as you can ever imagine."