Scottie Scheffler is locked in on present even after last years British Open win

SOUTHPORT, England — Anniversaries.They mean a lot to some and little to others.For Scottie Scheffler, his win at the British Open a year ago at Royal Portrush means little when it comes to defending that title this week at Royal Birkdale.“I’m not really a good reflector, I’m really not,” Scheffler said last week when asked about his Open victory, which gave him the third leg of the career Grand Slam.“I don’t really sit around too much and think about the past, to be honest with you.

I feel like I’m in the middle of my career, and probably the end of my career is more a time to reflect.“Right now, I’m just focused on what I need to do, and maybe I should sit and enjoy things more, but that’s just not my nature.”Jordan Spieth won the Claret Jug the last time the Open was played at Birkdale, in 2017.Fair or unfair, that feels like the last significant moment of his career.

Spieth has won just twice since that memorable final round — the 2021 Valero and the 2022 Heritage.But he’ll always have Birkdale.“A lot of my most fond memories of that, especially the final round,” Spieth said recently.

“It’s a great golf course, an aerial golf course, one of the hardest venues we play in an Open.”Spieth said he joked with Scheffler recently, asking him, “Well, are you the defending champ or am I the defending champ next week?”“He was like, ‘No, it’s you,’ ” Spieth said.“I was like, ‘No, no, no, you don’t get to do that.

It’s you.’ ”Scheffler isn’t the sentimental type — at least not publicly.He did offer up some tidbits about his appreciation of the Claret Jug, and how he doesn’t want to give it back — which is the custom for the defending champion whenever he first arrives onto the property.“I was surprised how much I enjoyed the Claret Jug,” Scheffler said.

“It will be very tough to hand it back on Tuesday next week, but I’ll be fighting like heck to get it back on Sunday.”Justin Rose, a ...