Scheffler’s Grand Slam chase faces Shinnecock grind at US Open

Scottie Scheffler will face a stern test in his bid for a career Grand Slam when the U.S. Open begins Thursday in Southampton, New York, at the demanding Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on Long Island.

The world No. 1 is looking to reinforce his status as golf’s dominant force after adding the PGA Championship and Open Championship titles last year to his two Masters victories, along with seven top-five finishes this season.

But Shinnecock Hills, widely regarded as one of the toughest courses in the world, along with a strong field led by back-to-back Masters champion Rory McIlroy, could pose a serious challenge for the American, who has made winning look routine.

“He’s still the man to beat but he is no longer the man that can’t be beat. So there’s a great opportunity there for Rory McIlroy. There’s a great opportunity there for Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm,” said Golf Channel commentator Brandel Chamblee.

“At a U.S. Open, it’s just about dealing with adversity, because you’re going to face it from the first hole to the 18th hole.”

Brawny American Bryson DeChambeau would join a rare group of only six golfers with three or more U.S. Open titles if he succeeds, while his fellow LIV Golf player Jon Rahm of Spain last won the tournament in 2021.

McIlroy, meanwhile, leads a European charge. After the Northern Irishman donned the Masters green jacket for a second time in April, England’s Aaron Rai won the PGA Championship in May, marking the first time in the era of the four current major championships that the first two of the year were won by Europeans.

There is no sure path to the trophy, however, at the famously tricky Shinnecock Hills, revered as one of the five founding member clubs of the USGA.

The 2027 Ryder Cup U.S. captain and Golf Channel analyst Jim Furyk won the U.S. Open in 2003 at Olympia Fields but finished tied for 48th a year later when Shinnecock hosted, fresh off wrist surgery and humbled by the course’s demands.

“I remember distinctly standing over putts, 20, 25 feet uphill, and still kind of lag mentality. It was so easy to fire one, four and five feet by the hole, and I just remember there was no place where I felt like you could be aggressive,” Furyk told reporters.

The 126th U.S. Open runs from June 18-21.