Open Championship golfers and the British Open favorite to win ahead of the year's final major at Royal Portrush

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was a fountain of introspection Tuesday at his news conference entering the 2025 British Open, calling golf "an unsatisfying venture" and admitting that he often wrestles with motivation.

Backspin: His year was slowed by a rib injury that kept him out for two months. Padraig Harrington (2007-08), Tiger Woods (2005-06) and Tom Watson (1982-83) are the only back-to-back Open champions the last 50 years.

3:14 a.m.-8:15 a.m. — Thomas Detry, Belgium; Chris Gotterup, United States; Lee Westwood, England. 3:25 a.m.-8:26 a.m. — Patrick Cantlay, United States; Cameron Young, United States; Mackenzie Hughes, Canada.

One would imagine three-time major champion Scottie Scheffler would be desperate to continue American domination of the British Open and lift the Claret Jug for the first time this week at Royal Portrush.

The somewhat contradictory answer was that golf does fulfill Scheffler, along with his family, but that if the game ever affected his role as a husband and father he'd quit on the spot. Family matters the most to him, so he ends up asking himself the same question at tournament after tournament:

Xander Schauffele will look to defend his British Open title against a field led by Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler when the 153rd Open Championship begins at Royal Portrush on Thursday.

The world No. 1 gave one of the most revealing answers during his press conference on Tuesday in what turned into a therapy session of sorts for him.