When Rory McIlroy gone, he's not too worried about the impact he's left on the game of golf.
McIlroy, 37, was asked about his “legacy in the world” at a press conference on Tuesday, July 14, ahead of the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
“I don't really care,” McIlroy said. I'd like to think that people who love and care about me think a certain way about me, but I'll be gone.
He continued, “I don't think I'm going to see what people say about me. I'm going to be six feet under. I don't think I'm going to be a ghost.”
Scottie Scheffler he had the same presence when asked if he cared about his “legacy” on Tuesday.
“I mean to be completely honest, not really,” Scheffler, 30, told reporters at Royal Birkdale. “I don't really play a role in history. I don't play anything like that. Because, this is going to sound weird, but at the end of the day I'm going to live my life and it's going to end. And when it's over, I'm going somewhere else and I'm not going to be here anymore.”
Scheffler continued, “The legacy and all of that was never really a motivating factor. For me, it was always the competition. I loved to play golf. I loved waking up with butterflies because I'm going to play a tournament and I get to compete today. I love that feeling, and when I retire, I'm going to miss it.”
In the end, Scheffler admitted that he “never once thought about how I would be remembered.”
Scheffler's comments came one year after he announced his goal ahead of the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
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“Life goes on,” he said successfully. “Is it a good thing to be able to win tournaments and accomplish the things that I have in golf? Yeah, I mean it brings tears to my eyes when I think about it because I've worked my whole life to be good at the sport and to have that sense of accomplishment, I think it's a cool feeling. Achieving your dreams is very important.”
Still, Scheffler admitted he's not out to “encourage someone else to be the best player in the world.”
“Why is there a problem?” Scheffler asked. “This is not a fulfilling life. It's fulfilling in the sense of accomplishment, but it's not fulfilling from the bottom of your heart. There are a lot of people who achieve what they thought would accomplish them in life. And then you get there and suddenly you're number one in the world and they're like, 'What's the point?'
The 2026 Open Championship starts on Thursday, July 16, from Royal Birkdale Golf Club in North West England.
