Adam Scott doesn’t love the idea of being compared to tennis icon Roger Federer. The Swiss maestro won 20 Grand Slams in an all-time career while Scott is still attempting to win his second major. But the two are mates; they have been since Federer sent Scott a hand-written note in 2013 congratulating the Aussie on winning the Masters at Augusta National. Recently, Federer uploaded a video of himself on social media hitting golf balls and was wearing an “AS” (Adam Scott) logo Uniqlo sweater, their mutual clothing sponsor.
Federer and Scott share some similarities. The first is athleticism and poise – Scott’s golf swing is as powerful, balanced and graceful as Federer’s ground strokes were on the court. The second is longevity; Federer’s last ATP win came in 2019, 18 years after his first. He came back from surgeries to win Slams at the 2017 Australian Open and Wimbledon before triumphing in Australia again in 2018 – later becoming the oldest No.1 in the rankings at 36 years and 10 months. This week, Scott, 43, will compete in his 92nd consecutive major having teed up in every championship in the 23 years going back to the 2001 Open Championship.
The comparisons stop when Scott is asked if he’ll ever accept an honorary university degree like Federer did this week at the famous Dartmouth University, where he gave a moving speech.
“Now I know you’re winding me up,” Scott, who left the University of Las Vegas Nevada early to turn pro, told Australian Golf Digest on Wednesday. “It’s funny to look up to someone who is a year younger than you, but the way he carried himself for all those years and it was easy to enjoy watching him play tennis.”
While proud of his majors streak, Scott keeps it at arm’s length because he’s not satisfied with the strike rate. “I joked with Scottie Scheffler this week that he’s on a streak of winning tournaments and I’m on a streak of getting into them, and I’d like to swap him,” Scott laughed.
Scott will compete this week in his 23rd consecutive US Open. He played in the two most recent US Opens at Pinehurst, sharing 28th place in 2005 and ninth in 2014. While statistically it’s his worst-performing major – Scott’s best finish is a tie for fourth in 2015 at Chambers Bay – his short game and putting are the most mature and effective they have been in his career. Finding comfort in L.A.B. putters has helped Scott become one of the best 20 putters on the PGA Tour in recent years, and is currently ranked 47th.
“My short game is [more well-rounded] and I feel Pinehurst sets up well for an experienced player,” he said of Pinehurst No.2’s turtleback greens. “We don’t play green complexes like this very often. We’re going to have to accept that some good shots are going to roll off the green but they’re going to be playable.”
The former world No.1 also feels there is a silver lining to his bizarre US Open preparations. Scott played five consecutive weeks on the PGA Tour in an effort to get his world ranking inside the top 60, who gain entry to the US Open. He couldn’t, and had to enter US Open qualifying in Ohio, where he lost in a playoff to Cam Davis. Scott then waited to see if his world No.60 ranking would hold despite not being eligible for the Memorial Tournament last week, where he could have improved it. Scott slid to 61st but became exempt when US Open organisers removed Grayson Murray’s spot from the field after he died recently. Scott flew to Pinehurst early and got in two practice rounds before the 70 players arrived from the Memorial Tournament.
“In a really weird way, it’s been like the preparation of six years ago, where I was tested heavily,” Scott said of the 2018 US Open, the only other time in the past 20 years he’s had to enter final qualifying for a major. “The past few weeks on tour, I definitely felt weight on my shoulders getting into this event and finally getting in, I feel that weight is lifted. Hopefully, I swing a little freer. But then I’ve had the week off before this US Open, which might be a blessing, because I think those guys have all been beaten at Muirfield Village. I got here early and had early practice rounds.”
Perhaps Scott can turn back the clock and join the list of recent US Open winners at Pinehurst No.2, including his good friend Martin Kaymer (2014), New Zealand’s Michael Campbell (2005) and the late, great Payne Stewart (1999).
“What drives me to keep playing is that I’ve always dreamt of being a multiple major winner and I still think it’s possible,” Scott said. “I’m only 43, in good shape and healthy, and my [clubhead speed, putting and other metrics] out on the course stack up with best golfers in world. I just have to put it together more often. I’ve been working at my game, I just haven’t really seen the results. I’m figuring the best way to do it for me going forward.”
If he doesn’t go on to win, at least Scott was in with a chance by being in the field. He’s guaranteed to get to 94 consecutive majors with spots already secured in next month’s Open Championship (93rd) and the 2025 Masters (94th). The only player in history to tee up in more than 100 majors is Jack Nicklaus, who played 146 straight.
“A part of me has some pride in staying fit and healthy and playing at a high enough level to be in all these majors, even though it was down to the wire for this one,” Scott said. “We don’t really live in a world of consistency and longevity these days. We live more in an instant world. It’s like, What have you won lately out here?“
Win or lose, we can admire Scott’s fight.
CHIPS SHOTS
Scott is one of six Australians in the field at the 124th US Open. Australia’s most recent major winner, 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith, secured a career-best US Open result last year at Los Angeles Country Club with a solo fourth. On Tuesday at Pinehurst, Smith, who tied for sixth at the Masters in April, was watched by the great Karrie Webb, who walked several holes of his practice round.
Scott and Smith are joined by Australia’s top-ranked male golfer, world No.1 Jason Day, who owns four top 10s on the PGA Tour this year. Day was once a US Open specialist, earning two runner-up results (2011, 2013) among five top 10s at the event. Davis, who defeated Scott in that sudden-death playoff at US Open qualifying, is also teeing up, as is world No.36 Min Woo Lee and DP World Tour pro, Perth’s Jason Scrivener.
ROUND ONE AUSSIE TEE-TIMES (AEST in brackets)
Thursday
7.18am (9.18pm) Cam Smith, Sam Burns, Lucas Glover
8.02am (10.02pm) Min Woo Lee, Sahith Theegala, Nicolai Hojgaard
8.35am (10.35pm) Cam Davis, Adrian Meronk, Austin Eckroat
1.03pm (3.03am Friday) Jason Day, Harris English, Tom Kim
1.58pm (3.58am Friday) Adam Scott, Billy Horschel, Chris Kirk
12.30pm (2.30am Friday) Jason Scrivener, Brandon Robinson Thompson, Brendan Valdes (amateur)
AUSSIE BROADCAST TV SCHEDULE
US OPEN STATS
WHO’S HERE: Among the 156 golfers in the 2024 US Open Championship, there are:
US Open champions (14): Wyndham Clark (2023), Bryson DeChambeau (2020), Matt Fitzpatrick (2022), Lucas Glover (2009), Dustin Johnson (2016), Martin Kaymer (2014), Brooks Koepka (2017, ‘18), Rory McIlroy (2011), Jon Rahm (2021), Justin Rose (2013), Webb Simpson (2012), Jordan Spieth (2015), Gary Woodland (2019) and Tiger Woods (2000, ’02, ’08)
US Open runners-up (13): Jason Day (2011, ’13), Tommy Fleetwood (2018), Rickie Fowler (2014), Brian Harman (2017), Dustin Johnson (2015), Brooks Koepka (2019), Shane Lowry (2016), Hideki Matsuyama (2017), Rory McIlroy (2023), Phil Mickelson (1999, 2002, ’04, ’06, ’09, ’13), Scottie Scheffler (2022), Tiger Woods (2005, ‘07) and Will Zalatoris (2022)
Former US Amateur champions (10): Byeong Hun An (2009), Sam Bennett (2022), Bryson DeChambeau (2015), Nick Dunlap (2023), Matt Fitzpatrick (2013), Viktor Hovland (2018), Matt Kuchar (1997), Phil Mickelson (1990), Edoardo Molinari (2005) and Tiger Woods (1994, ’95, ’96)
PLAYERS IN FIELD WITH MOST US OPEN APPEARANCES (including 2024): Phil Mickelson (33), Sergio Garcia (25), Adam Scott (23), Tiger Woods (23), Matt Kuchar (21), Justin Rose (19), Dustin Johnson (17), Lucas Glover (16), Martin Kaymer (16) and Rory McIlroy (16)
ACTIVE CONSECUTIVE US OPEN APPEARANCES (including 2024): Sergio Garcia (25), Adam Scott (23), Dustin Johnson (17), Rory McIlroy (16) and Justin Rose (14).
CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD The USGA accepted 10,052 entries, the third-highest total in US Open history. The 156-player field includes 84 fully exempt golfers, 14 of whom are champions.
AMATEURS Sixteen amateurs have made the 156-player field at Pinehurst. Neal Shipley, the 2023 US Amateur runner-up, and Gordon Sargent, who received last year’s Mark H. McCormack Medal as the leading player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking/WAGR, are in this group.
MORE GOLF DIGEST US OPEN COVERAGE
