Scottie Scheffler was grilled by his caddie in phone call - it may help vs Rory McIlroy

World No.1 now has a real fight on his hands to keep his status in 2025. The American's quest to retain his title fell short last week in dramatic fashion.

In the build-up to Augusta National, McIlroy had already won twice in America in 2025. He prevailed at t and is already being touted for further success this year. The next major, the US Open, takes place at Quail Hollow where he has won before.

There is also a home at Royal Portrush to look forward to. The key to Scheffler fending off the Northern Irishman and keeping his spot as the world's best player may now lie with his caddie, Ted Scott.

Scheffler's compatriot joined forces with him in 2021 after he'd split with Bubba Watson. The 28-year-old has since gone from strength to strength, winning the Masters twice, and his career winnings now exceed £75million.

However, his partnership with Scott nearly never materialised. Despite the potentially lucrative offer of joining forces with an elite star, he only accepted after grilling Scheffler over his attitude on the course.

Netflix's Full Swing season three gave an insight into the exchange, with Scott saying: "A friend of mine approached me and said, 'You're about to receive a phone call from a really good player. This guy is really good.'

"I had never really met Scottie other than the fact we played with him in the New Orleans tournament and I saw that he was kind of feisty. So that was one of the questions that I actually asked him when he called me. I said, 'I don't know if I want to work for you because of your attitude.' I posed that question to him."

Scheffler also speaks in the documentary, admitting that Scott's warning helped him sort out his "anger issues" and his mentality. The pair's next challenge is to stem McIlroy's momentum, and Scheffler remaining cool and calculated will be key as the two rivals get set to fight it out to finish top of the Official Golf World Rankings in 2025.