Padraig Harrington has been around even longer than Rose. What, then, did the three-time major winner make of the Scheffler soliloquy?
“I don’t want to compare myself to him, but I genuinely still have a real love for this game and enjoy every bit,” he said. “It brings me tremendous satisfaction and I don’t think I have to shy away from that.
“Just because I love golf doesn’t make me a bad father or bad parent. They’re separate entities, you can enjoy everything there is about golf and still be good elsewhere. I just love playing golf.
When pressed about still feeling fulfilled on the course, 30 years after turning pro, he said he still “loves practising, hitting shots and dreaming of what can be”.
Going back to Scheffler, two-time Open champion Harrington added: “He was being honest, but those people are going to ask him about that for a long time.
“He obviously loves to practice, I just don’t think he loves the grind of it. I don’t think he needs to separate it.
“I’ve often said this later on in my life, I wish I’d spent more time enjoying my wins when they happened.”
Whoever takes the Claret Jug home from Portrush on Sunday, maybe they will have Scheffler’s words ringing in their ears. Maybe it will allow them to enjoy an Open win that bit longer.
