Scottie Scheffler insists the demands of constantly being in the spotlight can be mentally draining for elite athletes.
The World No1 and reigning Open champion arrived at Birkdale early last weekend after missing the cut in the Genesis Scottish Open.
Scheffler was mobbed by fans posing for selfies outside a local takeaway shop after tucking into a fish supper.
He also found himself unable to focus properly during a practice round due to cameras capturing his every move and fans being only a few feet away.
Whilst he accepts the greater scrutiny given his status in the sport, he believes it’s an aspect of the game which is tougher to deal with than some might imagine.
‘You can’t win every single golf tournament — you just can’t do it,’ said Scheffler. ‘Nobody’s been able to do it. In golf, no matter what, you lose a lot more often than you win.
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler signs autographs for eager fans at Royal Birkdale
‘Mentally, especially in this day and age, there’s just a lot of noise all the time at golf tournaments.
‘I think golf is unique in a sense, too, with the mental grind the sport entails. There’s just a lot more stuff that’s going on at tournaments.
‘For instance, this week, I show up on Sunday thinking there’s not going to be any fans out there. We get out there on the 1st hole, and there’s fans out there. I love being able to play in front of fans, that’s a tremendous amount of fun.
‘But I get to the bunker on the 1st hole, and I turn around, and within six feet of me there’s literally like two cameras right in my face.
‘I turn around and look at the guys, like: “Hey, y’all, are you going to be this close all day, or could we get a little bit of room?
‘I think, just being in the spotlight all the time puts a burden on a player in this day and age. Everything is being recorded.
‘When they say hello to you, they’ve got their cellphone out. Sometimes you can be like you’re walking on eggshells a little bit, and that can drain people.
Scheffler reflected on the issues he has even getting a practice round in without prying eyes
‘For me, that’s why I say I can’t play so many tournaments in a row because of the demands you have in a given week, and being recorded all the time.
‘I’m very far from a perfect person, and you know — I’m trying to find the right words — I think just sometimes it can be hard when you’re being recorded all the time.’
Scheffler will tee it up this week as one of the favourites, despite missing the cut at The Renaissance last week.
He won the Claret Jug in fine style at Royal Portrush last year to continue the most dominant run of any player since Tiger Woods. He now has four majors to his name and has had a vice-like grip on World No 1 status over recent years.
But the 30-year-old American (right) insists he is unperturbed about legacy and how he is viewed alongside some of the all-time greats of the game.
‘I think it matters more to me just in terms of the competition,’ he said when asked about the issue of legacy.
‘There’s things I would like to accomplish in the game, but at the end of the day, I have never once thought about how I’m going to be remembered.
‘To me, it truly doesn’t matter from a sense of accomplishment. It’s more just trying to get the most out of myself. That’s what I love about the game.
Scheffler’s missed cut at last week’s Scottish Open was his first in a remarkable FOUR years
‘History to me — yeah, I guess maybe just isn’t that important. I don’t necessarily want to be remembered for winning the tournaments that I won. I’d much rather be remembered for the way that I did it.
‘So, if I’m doing things the right way, treating people the right way — like I said, I’d much rather be remembered for doing things the right way than the guy that won all the tournaments.
‘For me, competition is extremely important. I love being able to go out and compete, but over time I’ve gotten much better at just being able to take your hat off and shake hands.
‘When I was young, I took myself a bit too seriously. I’ve gotten better as I’ve gotten older of letting the competition be the competition. And when you’re done, taking your hat off and shake hands and we’re on to the next week. History for me has never been the most important thing.’
