Scottie Scheffler reveals hidden burden of golf stardom ahead of The Open

Scottie Scheffler has admitted the relentless attention that comes with being golf's biggest star can leave even the world's best player feeling mentally exhausted.

The reigning Open champion arrives at Royal Birkdale as the man everyone expects to beat after another remarkable season, but the American says life at the top of the sport brings pressures many fans never see.

Scheffler revealed he has found it increasingly difficult to escape cameras and mobile phones, explaining that the constant scrutiny can become draining during tournament weeks.

"You can't win every single golf tournament, you just can't do it," the world No 1 said.

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"Nobody's been able to do it. In golf, no matter what, you lose a lot more often than you win.

"Mentally, especially in this day and age, there's just a lot of noise all the time at golf tournaments."

Scheffler experienced that first-hand after arriving at Birkdale ahead of this week's championship.

The four-time major winner was surrounded by supporters while visiting a local takeaway before later discovering that even an early practice round offered little respite from the spotlight.

"I show up on Sunday thinking there's not going to be any fans out there," he explained.

"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?'"

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Scheffler stressed he appreciates the support he receives but believes modern technology has fundamentally changed the experience of being a professional athlete.

"I think, just being in the spotlight all the time puts a burden on a player in this day and age," he said.

"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.

"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... I think just sometimes it can be hard when you're being recorded all the time."

Despite missing the cut at last week's Genesis Scottish Open, Scheffler remains among the favourites to retain the Claret Jug after lifting the trophy at Royal Portrush 12 months ago.

The 30-year-old has established himself as the dominant player of his generation, collecting four major championships while spending an extended spell as the world's top-ranked golfer.

Yet Scheffler insisted he is not motivated by where history might place him alongside the game's all-time greats.

"I think it matters more to me just in terms of the competition," he said.

"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.

"I'd much rather be remembered for the way that I did it.

"If I'm doing things the right way, treating people the right way, I'd much rather be remembered for doing things the right way than the guy that won all the tournaments."

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