Adam Scott Approaches Milestone at PGA Championship
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — This week, a noteworthy achievement is taking place at the PGA Championship.
Adam Scott is set to participate in his 100th major championship, having played in 99 straight events. He is also eligible for next month’s U.S. Open at Sinekook, which will mark this significant milestone.
Jack Nicklaus holds the record for the most consecutive major championships, with an impressive streak of 146 over 36 years.
“I’m not sure how to feel about it,” Scott, 45, shared. “Part of me thinks I shouldn’t be the guy whose accomplishments aren’t connected to winning. I’d much rather win something—like, you know, celebrating not just playing the U.S. Open, but actually winning it.”
He continued, “I do think it’s important to recognize all my hard work and competition in these events. It’s probably a bit of luck, but I’ve also received excellent advice that helped me remain healthy and mostly injury-free.”
Scott, who won the Masters in 2013, has a permanent exemption from competing. However, the exemption for other majors expired five years later, meaning he needs to maintain his ranking within the top 50 globally to qualify for the Masters.
His remarkable streak began at the 2001 British Open, where he tied for 47th. At that time, he certainly didn’t foresee where his career would lead.
Interestingly, Tiger Woods hasn’t achieved 100 major appearances, while Phil Mickelson has played over 100 but never more than 52 consecutively. Sergio Garcia managed 82 consecutive majors before missing the 2020 Masters due to the pandemic.
“It’s crucial to stay both healthy and competitive,” Jordan Spieth noted about Scott’s accomplishments. “It truly highlights the importance of being in top shape and maintaining exceptional performance over time.”
Scottie Scheffler, currently ranked No. 1 in the world, is feeling pressure after finishing second in three consecutive tournaments: the Masters, RBC Heritage, and the Cadillac Championship.
“Just last week, my wife Meredith joked that I seemed like the first player in PGA history to finish runner-up three times in a row,” Scheffler reflected. “I didn’t actually finish second each time, though.”
He described his recent finishes as “a bit bittersweet.” He remarked, “Finishing second isn’t bad, especially given how well I played leading up to some of these tournaments.” He admitted to needing to focus on starting strong in future competitions.
“It stings to be second, but on reflection, there’s usually less to improve on than after a 30th-place finish,” he said.
Rory McIlroy, having wrapped up a nine-hole practice round on Tuesday while dealing with a blister on his right baby toe, managed to complete a full round with his close friend Shane Lowry on Wednesday. He opted for shoes half a size larger to ease the pressure from his blister.
Looking at past performances, the last ten PGA Championship winners have all been American, starting with Jimmy Walker’s victory in 2016 at Baltusrol. Additionally, 11 of the last 12 winners were ranked No. 1 or No. 2 at some point surrounding their PGA title.
Currently, players with the most cumulative strokes under par over the last four majors include Scheffler at 35, Xander Schauffele at 13, and McIlroy at 12.
