Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, the world's leading two golfers, both brushed aside questions about their places in sporting history with some black humour just two days out from their respective quests to win a second Open Championship title.
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Last year, McIlroy became just the sixth golfer in history to complete the career Grand Slam of golf's four major titles and in April he successfully defended his US Masters title.
Meanwhile Scheffler, the reigning Open champion, has arrived at Royal Birkdale, near Liverpool, bidding to become the first man to keep hold of the Claret Jug since Ireland's Padraig Harrington in 2008.
McIlroy was disarmingly frank when asked about his golf legacy, telling a press conference on Tuesday: "I don't really care. I would like to think that the people that love and care about me think a certain way of me, but I'll be long gone. I'll be dead."
The 37-year-old Northern Irishman added: "I think it would be a pretty unfulfilling pursuit if you’re just chasing records and results.
"You have to enjoy the journey to get there. I've learned that the hard way at times by chasing results and records too much."
🚨⛳️🪦 #NEW — Rory McIlroy on how much legacy motivates him: “I don’t really care… I’ll be long gone, I’ll be dead. I don’t think I’ll be seeing what people say about me I’ll be 6 feet under… I don’t think I’ll be a ghost 👻🤣 pic.twitter.com/SaJeonnkL0
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) July 14, 2026
A year ago at Royal Portrush, Scheffler spoke in unusually revealing terms about how he endured a daily struggle with his constant desire for more success and questioned whether it was all worth it "to celebrate winning for a few minutes".
Nevertheless, the 30-year-old American went on to win his first British Open title and like McIlroy, he too referenced his own mortality when dismissing questions about his standing within golf during a separate press conference.
"I have never once thought about how I'm going to be remembered," said Scheffler.
"Like when I die: 'Hey, Scottie won four majors and 20 tournaments and he won this much money' -– that has zero effect on me.
"History to me just isn't that important. I don't necessarily want to be remembered for winning the tournaments, I'd much rather be remembered for the way that I did it.
"This is going to sound a little morbid: at the end of the day, I'm going to live my life, and it's going to end.
"When it ends, I'm going somewhere else, and I'm not going to be here anymore."
Scheffler, realising he may have created another headline after his 2025 remarks, said: "Is that going to be a quote after last year's 'What's the point?’? This year: 'We’re all going to die."
“We’re all gonna die.” —Scottie Scheffler
— Christopher Powers (@CPowers14) July 14, 2026
Powerful. pic.twitter.com/S1DRwZiKU8