Scheffler and McIlroy shrug off legacy talk as they chase a 2nd British Open titles

SOUTHPORT, England (AP) 鈥� Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are both chasing a second claret jug at the this week.

The world鈥檚 top two golfers are unmoved about what that would mean for their legacies.

鈥淚鈥檒l be long gone. I鈥檒l be dead,鈥� McIlroy said Tuesday when asked if winning more trophies and breaking more records would shape how he鈥檒l be viewed in a hundred years.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I鈥檒l be seeing what people say about me. I鈥檒l be six feet under. I don鈥檛 think I鈥檒l be a ghost.鈥�

Seems Scheffler’s goal isn鈥檛 about chasing a place in history, either.

鈥淭his is going to sound a little morbid,鈥� the top-ranked American said. 鈥淎t the end of the day, I鈥檓 going to live my life and it鈥檚 going to end. When it ends, I鈥檓 going somewhere else, and I鈥檓 not going to be here anymore.鈥�

Coming over to play the Open Championship seems to bring the philosophical side out of Scheffler.

It was around this time last year, speaking days before golf鈥檚 oldest championship at Royal Portrush, that Scheffler delivered a soliloquy about fulfillment and what being good at golf really means.

鈥淚 love being able to play this game for a living,鈥� he said back then, before adding: 鈥淏ut does it fill the deepest wants and desires of my heart? Absolutely not.鈥�

At that time, Scheffler was dominating golf at a level not seen since Tiger Woods. And he鈥檚 still the No. 1 player by a distance, even if he experienced his first in four years at the Scottish Open last week.

McIlroy performed better in Scotland, finishing tied for seventh, but his final round might best be remembered not for shooting 64 but for him exclaiming 鈥淚鈥檓 so bad at golf鈥� after hitting a poor approach on the 16th hole.

鈥淓ven though I shot a good score on Sunday, it didn鈥檛 feel very good,鈥� McIlroy said.

So, instead of taking to the course for a practice round after arriving at Royal Birkdale on Monday, he spent time on the range and said he is 鈥渄efinitely trending in the right direction.鈥�

Links golf take McIlroy 鈥榖ack to my childhood鈥�

It has been 12 years since McIlroy won his first and so-far-only Open Championship title, just down the northwest coastline at Hoylake.

Winning back-to-back Masters titles not only saw him complete the career Grand Slam but ended a major drought of more than a decade.

That has somewhat taken the pressure off McIlroy at golf鈥檚 biggest events but his home major remains special.

鈥淚t brings me back to my childhood,鈥� the Northern Irishman said Tuesday.

As a kid, he could only dream of being a six-time major champion and only the sixth player to win all four majors. This week, a win would see him tied with Harry Vardon as the European player with most majors in men鈥檚 golf.

Not that those records matter to McIlroy, it seems.

鈥淚 think it would be a pretty unfulfilling pursuit if you鈥檙e just chasing records and chasing results,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou have to enjoy the process. You have to enjoy the journey to get there. I鈥檝e learned that the hard way at times by chasing results and chasing records too much.鈥�

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