Adam Scott will look to keep his incredible major championship steak alive during a three-week build to the US Open, after falling outside the top 60 on the Official World Golf Ranking.
Scott has played 91 consecutive majors going back to the 2001 Open Championship at Royal Lytham won by David Duval. He is hoping to qualify for the upcoming US Open at Pinehurst No.2 to bag a 92nd straight appearance in majors.
The former world No.1 has four options. The first three are the trio of tournaments prior to the US Open: this week’s PGA Tour event at Colonial in Texas, where he won in 2014, before next week’s Canadian Open and, if he can get into it, the $US20 million signature event at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio.
If Scott, who is currently world No.62 having missed the cut at the PGA Championship, can lift his ranking via solid play in those three tournaments by June 10, he will be added to the field and avoid final qualifying. If not, he has the option to tee up in 36-hole final qualifying. As Sports Illustrated‘s Bob Harig reports, the 2013 Masters winner has entered final qualifying as a back-up plan.
In 2018, Scott played the only final qualifying of his career after he missed out on an automatic spot for the US Open at Shinnecock Hills. He got the job done at the qualifying site in Columbus, Ohio, and kept his majors streak alive.
“I had a disappointing last week at the PGA,” Scott said at Colonial on Tuesday. “The state of my game had been pretty solid all around, but I struggled on the greens last week and I have struggled on the greens the two previous woks before that. So that’s really held me back. I think my game is in better
shape than results are showing. I know pretty much everyone who is not in the top 10 in the world is probably saying that, but that’s how I feel. A little like I opened with, I hope that some good karma from this golf course kind of inspires a few better things for me on the golf course this week.”
Around the traps
- Xander Schauffele… is he the real deal? He really is, after 12 top-10s in majors he’s finally broken through and I think the way he did it – needing to get up and down for birdie on the 72nd hole at Valhalla to avoid a playoff – will open the floodgates just a little bit. I predict two more majors from the San Diegan. His driving, iron and putting are out of this world. He was second to Francesco Molinari at The Open in 2018 and second to Tiger Woods at the 2019 Masters. He could win an Open or a Masters with his talent.
- Scottie Scheffler, what’s the latest? The world No.1 was arrested on Friday morning outside Valhalla Golf Club ahead of the second round of the PGA Championship. He was charged with second-degree assault of a Louisville police officer, criminal mischief and reckless driving. Scheffler is alleged to have driven past a police officer against the officer’s instructions while trying to enter the club. His arraignment was pushed back and is now scheduled for 9am on June 3. Scheffler’s attorney Steve Romines said Scheffler will enter a not guilty plea. Scheffler called the incident a misunderstanding.
- Takeaways from the PGA Championship? My No.1 takeaway is how much Bryson DeChambeau is becoming a force. He’s had three top-six finishes in majors in the past 13 months, including a T-6 at the Masters two months ago and now a second at the PGA. He’s really redeemed himself with fans and there isn’t a pro golfer who has come out of the LIV Golf/PGA Tour divide with a more improved image.
- Preview Schwab at Colonial: You wouldn’t believe it, but Scottie Scheffler cannot stop playing golf. He’s got NRL odds of $3.50 to win the Charles Schwab Challenge, another ridiculous sponsor name for an event called the Colonial, which is an historic golf course in Forth Worth, Texas. It’s shorter at 7,200 yards, and under a Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner renovation it’s back to its best.
- Bets: It’s really difficult to bet against Scheffler. A $3.50 price is terrible but he’s also the world’s best player, on a ‘heater’ having won at Bay Hill, the Players, the Masters and Harbour Town. He’s lost in a playoff and tied third at Colonial in his past two starts. However, I’m backing Belgium’s Thomas Detry to the hilt. He tied for fourth last week at the PGA and has been playing really solid golf this year since transition from the DP World Tour. He’s paying $51 to win at Colonial, $5 for a top 5 and $6 for a top 10.
- Aussies in the field: We’ve got Min Woo Lee (T-26 at the PGA) Cam Davis and Adam Scott. Scott and Davis missed the the cut at the PGA, so I’m picking Min Woo Lee to be top Aussie at $2.05.
