Scottie Scheffler’s first attempt at the career grand slam tops US Open storylines to watch at Shinnecock

We blinked and passed the midpoint of 2026. That’s not to say the US Open is sneaking up on us – that’s impossible given the major championship’s return to Shinnecock Hills – but it feels as if just last week we were watching Rory McIlroy don another green jacket, yet here we are in the third major of the year.

Another major championship means another collection of stories to watch out for before things get underway on Long Island on Thursday morning.

Scottie Scheffler’s birthday wish

It is impossible to put into words how special Sunday, June 21 would have been for the world’s No. 1 player.

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Not only does Father’s Day fall on that date this year, it also happens to be Scheffler’s 30th birthday, and what a gift it would be for him to win his first US Open to cap his career grand slam.

Scheffler would become the seventh player to complete the career grand slam with a win at Shinnecock and only the fourth player to complete the feat on his first attempt.

Although he’s still the betting favorite to finish the job, Scheffler actually enters the week flying a bit under the radar, at least further under the radar than anyone could have imagined at the start of 2026.

Scheffler has been winless since January, and though he has finished T-4 or better in six of the following 11 starts, he has looked more human than at any point in the last three-plus years. He still leads in strokes gained (total strokes) and strokes gained (tee to green).

Golf course playing the role of the main character

During the 2018 US Open at Shinnecock Hills, the golf course was the center of attention for four consecutive days.

Brooks Koepka won by a score of 1-over, Phil Mickelson intentionally hit a golf ball moving on the green, and Zach Johnson famously said “they lost the green” while expressing frustration at how difficult the conditions were.

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Aerial view of crews working on the golf course at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, on September 15, 2025. The 126th US Open will be played on this field in 2026. (Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) ((Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images))

These are exactly the kinds of things that the vast majority of golf fans want to see unfold during the US Opens: the best players on the planet being tested on a universally beloved, extremely challenging golf course that we don’t see every year.

The USGA will need to set up the golf course appropriately to achieve the chaos we crave, and the weather will have to do its part in the fight, but the recipe for making every player’s best friend equal par is relatively simple.

Rory McIlroy: Just an important guy

Rory McIlroy, who completed his career grand slam with the 2025 Masters victory, made it clear that he is turning all his focus to major championships. It’s an understandable approach for a 37-year-old who has achieved everything possible in the sport.

His approach and very limited schedule have paid off so far, considering he made a successful defense at Augusta National in April. His T-7 at the PGA Championship last month was also very competitive.

Rory McIlroy walks the 12th hole with caddy Harry Diamond during the first round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

This week will give McIlroy the opportunity to use his driver as a weapon, as Shinnecock is a huge ballpark where distance from the tee will be a significant advantage. If the pitcher shows up with him this week, McIlroy is almost guaranteed to struggle.

Adam Scott became Mr. 100

Jack Nicklaus is the only person to have played in 100 consecutive majors. In fact, he has done so in a staggering 146 consecutive major championships; It’s a feat that can never be broken, but he will have a friend joining him on Thursday.

Adam Scott will reach triple digits in consecutive major championships when he throws the ball in the air in the opening round. The Australian’s streak of majors began at the 2001 Open and includes his only major victory at the 2013 Masters.

Adam Scott tees off the 18th tee during the second round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 5, 2026 in Dublin, Ohio. (Photo: Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images) ((Photo: Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images))

Nicklaus’ run in the majors spanned from the 1962 Masters to the 1998 U.S. Open. We haven’t missed a single big start in thirty-six years; just a ridiculous success.

An unprecedented European run

A month after McIlroy won the Masters, England’s Aaron Rai hosted the Wanamaker Trophy at the PGA Championship, marking the first time in the modern era that the first two major championships of the year were won by Europeans.

Jon Rahm of Spain greets fans on the 18th green during the final round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club on May 17, 2026 in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. (Photo: Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images) (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

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You have to go back to 2009 to find out the last time the first two major games of the year were each won by non-Americans. Argentina’s Angel Cabrera won the Masters in 2009, and South Korea’s YE Yang followed that up by beating Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship.

McIlroy leads the Europeans seeking a third straight title, but Spain’s Jon Rahm, England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg should be part of the equation emerging at Shinnecock.