Bill Streicher-Imagn pictures
When Rory McIlroy won The Masters in 2025, it was a career-defining moment for the golfing superstar. Not only did McIlroy win the tournament he had been chasing for 15 years, but he also became the sixth men’s golfer to complete career grand slam.
McIlroy joined Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods to cement himself as one of the best to ever play the game.
“To get the Masters, the career Grand Slam, the fifth major, to get all that out of the way. I think it will allow me to play with a lot more freedom,” McIlroy said of the enterprise.
This week, Scottie Scheffler has a chance to join that illustrious group if he wins the US Open at Shinnecock Hills.
Unlike McIlroy, however, Scheffler doesn’t seem invested in the performance.
Scottie Scheffler plays down the idea of winning the career Grand Slam
“It’s kind of a funny thing,” Scheffler told members of the media on Tuesday when asked about the completion of the set. “It’s like, yeah, if I win this tournament, that would be great, but I think I show up next week and it’s like, ‘OK, now Scottie has won the Grand Slam, he’s won all these golf tournaments. Now where do we go?’
“So no matter what, I think as a player and as a professional athlete, you’re never going to live up to people’s expectations. I think sometimes that’s kind of the flaw in our sport is that if I win the US Open, I’ll be satisfied. I’ve won all the tournaments and my career is basically over and I think I’ve achieved everything I could ever want. posts are always just moved further and further.
Scottie Scheffler ahead of his first career grand slam attempt this week:
“Grand slams have never been a motivating factor for me. I’ve always just wanted to be the best version of myself and that got me this far.”pic.twitter.com/JRZGbsKUyh
— Underdog Golf (@UnderdogGolf) June 16, 2026
“…Would it be a dream for me to win the US Open? Sure. But at the end of the day, the Grand Slam has never been a motivating factor for me. I’ve always just wanted to be the best version of myself and that got me this far.”
To be fair to McIlroy. It took him years and years to try to complete the career grand slam. This is Scheffler’s first attempt after winning the British Open and PGA Championships for the first time in 2025.
So maybe his view of the situation will change if he goes years without achieving it. But so far, Scheffler seems pretty nonchalant about doing something that only six men in the history of the game have ever accomplished.
