The U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills begins less than one week from now, and it’s a bigger event for Scottie Scheffler than perhaps any other player in the field — but it’s not making PGA Tour history currently on the mind of the world’s No. 1 golfer.
Should Scheffler capture victory in the 126th U.S. Open from June 18-21, he will become just the seventh player to achieve the career grand slam, which entails capturing all four major championships at least once.
However, the test he will face is incredibly difficult, arguably too difficult based on the tournament’s history at the Long Island track. Scheffler spoke about the criticism the U.S. Open has taken for making courses too challenging, including at Shinnecock Hills in 2018.
“It’s hard when you run one tournament a year — and you run it on a different golf course every year — to get it just right,” Scheffler said, per the Associated Press (AP). “And you’re trying to make it hard. I think in the U.S. Open, they push the boundaries. If they’re going to continue to push the boundaries, eventually they’ll screw up and then they’ll dial it back.”
No Golfer Shot Par at Shinnecock Hills U.S. Open in 2018
GettyBrooks Koepka.
The AP noted on Friday, June 12 that course conditions combined with weather impacts from excessive sun and wind to render Shinnecock Hills so difficult on the third day of the event in 2018 that none of the final 45 golfers to tee off shot better than par that afternoon.
Brooks Koepka won the championship for the second consecutive time that year by posting a one-over score to par across the 72-hole event. Only four players in the field finished better than plus-five for the week, while just 15 players were better than 10-over par.
The USGA chief competitions officer John Bodenhamer said the greens were too dried out at the course that week, per the AP, which is something the tour will work to avoid this time around. Scheffler also noted that the fairways appear wider than eight years ago, which should mean fewer second shots out of the fabled and frightening U.S. Open rough for the world’s best next weekend.
Scottie Scheffler Took Week Off to Prepare for U.S. Open
GettyScottie Scheffler.
Tommy Fleetwood, who finished second to Koepka in that U.S. Open eight years ago with a score of plus-two, is currently tied for second (-12) at the RBC Canadian Open 14 holes through his third round.
Koepka, who held the lead in that same tournament at one point earlier in the week, is five-under through 14 holes in his Round 3, though he is plus-three on the afternoon and now trails the leaders by eight shots.
Scheffler did not participate in the RBC Canadian Open this week, deciding instead to take the tournament off in preparation for the daunting challenge that Shinnecock Hills presents.
While Scheffler attempts to make history at the storied — and now controversial — venue, the track itself is historic in the context of the U.S. Open. Shinnecock Hills has hosted this particular tournament at least once in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries — boasting a history almost as old as the major event itself. Next week’s tournament will be the sixth U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.
Scheffler, 29, has captured four major victories in his career, including two Masters titles (2022, 2024), one PGA Championship (2025) and one win at The Open (2025).
He has 20 career victories on the PGA Tour, though just one this year, which came at The American Express tournament in January. Scheffler has a total of 12 top-25 finishes in 2026.
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