Rory McIlroy has spent nearly two decades building one of the most accomplished careers in modern golf. Yet ahead of his Open Championship return to Royal Birkdale, the World No. 2 made it clear that one thing many athletes chase means very little to him.

McIlroy will tee off at Royal Birkdale, aiming to secure his second Open title. Of course, the Irishman would want to be liked by the golfing community in the centuries to come, but he won’t be around to witness any of that.

"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 yeah, 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 six feet under. I don't think I'll be a ghost," said McIlroy in the pre-tournament news conference.

McIlroy certainly has a rich legacy to hold onto, but that's not at the top of his mind, according to a video posted by Golf Digest on X. The six-time major winner completed his Career Grand Slam in 2025, writing his name in the history books.

McIlroy’s comment resonates with what Scottie Scheffler said last year after securing the Open title. The World No. 1 and World No. 2 do have a similarity in their outlook.

"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. Legacy and all that stuff was never really something that motivated me. For me, it was always competition. I loved playing golf," said Scheffler at Dunluce.

As Scheffler looks to defend his Open title, McIlroy will be aiming for his seventh major championship. The pressure of cementing one's legacy won’t be a factor for the top two golfers.

While McIlroy may not be concerned about how history remembers him, he did weigh in on a much more immediate issue ahead of the Open: crowd behavior.

Rory McIlroy on crowd behavior at events

In recent years, McIlroy has been on the receiving end of a lot of heckling, especially in the U.S. He pointed out that sports betting has been a huge factor in that.

"I would say the crowd behaviour has been pretty good for the most part. Obviously it's a newer thing in the United States. Yeah, you could see how people that have a bet could … you know, it's a very easy game to influence. The crowd aren't far away from you," said McIlroy, as per GolfMagic.

At Bethpage Black last year, McIlroy faced a hostile crowd that threw a drink at his partner, Erica, and made derogatory comments toward his daughter. The Irishman was also heckled at Shinnecock Hills last month.

The R&A’s ‘The Open Commitment’ will certainly shield players like McIlroy and also U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark from despicable fan behavior.

What are your thoughts on McIlroy’s remark? Share them in the comments.

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Written by

Avishek Sarkar

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav