PGA Tour Legend Reacts to Scottie Scheffler’s Honest Confession About Golf originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Open Championship—the fourth and final major of the year—is set to tee off Thursday at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.
While excitement builds for golf’s biggest names to take the course, it was world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler who created a stir earlier this week with a surprising admission about his relationship with the game. Despite his dominant run on the PGA Tour in recent years, Scheffler opened up about the lack of deeper fulfillment he feels from winning.
“This is not a fulfilling life,” Scheffler said. “It’s fulfilling from a sense of accomplishment, but it’s not fulfilling from the deepest places of your heart. There are a lot of people who reach what they thought would fulfill them in life—and then they get there and wonder, ‘What’s the point?’ You reach No. 1 in the world and you ask, ‘Why do I want to win this tournament so badly?’ That’s something I wrestle with on a daily basis. It’s like showing up at the Masters or The Open and thinking, ‘Why do I want to win so badly?’
“I don’t know,” he added. “Because if I win, it’s going to be awesome… for two minutes.”
Scottie Scheffler just gave one of the best (and deepest) press conference answers ever heard. pic.twitter.com/SUIRKuLwgb
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) July 15, 2025
Scheffler’s candid reflection drew a strong response from PGA Tour legend and three-time major champion Padraig Harrington, who admitted he didn’t quite relate to Scheffler’s perspective.
“I’m not sure what he was trying to articulate,” Harrington said. “And I wouldn’t want to put words in his mouth. But I know I’m still celebrating my U.S. Senior Open win—and that celebration goes on for weeks.”
“I don’t want to compare myself to him, but I genuinely still have a love for this game. I enjoy every bit of it. It brings me tremendous satisfaction, and I don’t think I have to shy away from that.”
Pádraig Harrington did not understand what Scottie Scheffler was trying to articulate in Tuesday’s viral press conference. pic.twitter.com/gZyBFQFUkp
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) July 16, 2025
Scottie Scheffler has firmly established himself as one of the biggest names in golf, right alongside Rory McIlroy. So when a player of his stature makes such candid—and potentially controversial—remarks, whether taken out of context or not, they’re bound to generate buzz.
That’s exactly what happened this week, just days before Scheffler tees off Thursday morning at The Open, where he’ll look to capture his first career victory in the storied major.
Related: Scottie Scheffler Makes Personal Confession Ahead of 2025 Open Championship
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
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