Scottie Scheffler claims the prospect of completing the career Grand Slam “has never been a motivating factor” as he heads into the U.S. Open seeking to join the illustrious club.
The World No. 1, who comes in the event at Shinnecock Hills as the pre-tournament favorite, moved within reach of a potential career Grand Slam after victories at the PGA Championship and The Open last year, adding to his two Masters triumphs in 2022 and 2024.
Just six golfers have achieved the career Grand Slam, with Rory McIlroy becoming the latest to join Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Gary Player, Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan.
The 2026 U.S. Open presents Scheffler the first opportunity to become the seventh player to join the distinguished group but the 29-year-old states this is not what is fuelling his push.
“Would it be a dream to win the U.S. Open? Of course, but at the end of the day, the Grand Slam has never been a motivating factor for me,” Scheffler told reporters during his pre-tournament press conference. “I always just wanted to be the best version of myself and that got me this far.
“When it comes to this golf tournament, I’m going to step on the first tee and remind myself I’ve done everything I possibly could to play well. Now it’s just a matter of going out there and trying to execute and going back to enjoying the competition, versus feeling like you have to win for some reason.”
Scheffler has been hit and miss so far on the PGA TOUR this season having only won once at The American Express back in January. However, his major record over the years has been impressive, having finished within the top 10 in 11 of his last 14 starts, a run which dates back since the beginning of 2023. In the majors so far this year, he has finished runner-up at The Masters and T-14 at the PGA Championship.
“If I finish second this week, it’s almost like ‘hey, you failed in your first chance to win the career Grand Slam’. Is finishing second a failure?” Scheffler added.
“Yeah, it can feel that way, but sometimes when you look at a wider view of the sport and where your game’s at, second is not always that bad – but man, does it frickin’ hurt at the same time.
“If I win this tournament that would be amazing, but then I show up the next week and it’s like ‘OK, now Scottie’s won the Grand Slam, he’s won all these golf tournaments. Now where do we go from here?’.
“So no matter what, as a player and as a professional athlete, you’re never going to live up to the expectations of people.
“A little bit of the fallacy in our sport is like, if I win the US Open then I’m going to be satisfied. I’ve won all the tournaments, and my career is essentially over, and I’ve accomplished everything I could want to accomplish. But I think the goal posts are always just moved further and further.”
The 2026 U.S. Open gets underway on June 18, with Scheffler teeing off at 8:14am.