Scottie Scheffler chases career Grand Slam at US Open as Europeans target history

[p]The year's third major tournament begins Thursday over the windy 7,440-yard (6,800-meter) Long Island layout, where lightning-fast greens and thick rough add to the challenge.[/p][p][b]"A lot of it just comes down to execution, but I think patience is a large part of it as well,"[/b] said [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/scheffler-scottie/bXfIuBYu/"]Scheffler[/a].[/p][p]Much of the focus is upon the American, who could become only the seventh player to complete the career Slam with a victory on Sunday, which is his 30th birthday.[/p][p][b]"Would it be a dream to win the US Open? Of course,"[/b] Scheffler said. [b]"But at the end of the day, the Grand Slam has never been a motivating factor for me. I always just wanted to be the best version of myself and that got me this far."[/b][/p][p]Golfers from the United Kingdom have won the first two majors of the year, second-ranked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mcilroy-rory/djwanksN/"]Rory McIlroy[/a] of Northern Ireland defending his Masters crown in April after completing his career Slam last year and England's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rai-aaron/46TU9vUh/"]Aaron Rai[/a] taking last month's PGA Championship.[/p][p]It's a feat not seen in the four-major era since the Masters began in 1934, and another European victory would match the continent's best run of three majors in a year since 2014, when McIlroy won the PGA and British Open after Germany's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kaymer-martin/zD8IqMQr/"]Martin Kaymer[/a] captured the US Open.[/p][embed guid="d6568bdd-70d7-49de-aa6d-ca533264eb3d" url="https://x.com/PGATOUR/status/2066985910906831139" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"A historic start to the major season for golfers from that part of the world, and I would say this is more a UK/European style of test than certainly the first two majors,"[/b] McIlroy said.[/p][p][b]"So it certainly wouldn't surprise me to see a few players from Europe and the UK in contention on Sunday."[/b][/p][p]Scheffler was stunned UK players had not won the first two majors before now.[/p][p][b]"It has never happened before?"[/b] Scheffler said. [b]"That's a bit surprising with the amount of talent that has come out of the UK. I think golf is becoming increasingly a global game."[/b][/p][p]Scheffler said Shinnecock being a links-style course near the water and its breezes make it a prime spot for Europeans who know their links golf.[/p][p][b]"If you grew up on a links course out towards the coast, yeah, I think there would be some value there, just based on this type of wind,"[/b] Scheffler said.[/p][p][b]"If you're hitting the ball in the right spots, you can play this golf course. The minute you start hitting the ball offline, you're like, man, how do I even finish this hole?"[/b][/p][embed guid="1e344bb4-0ba0-41d2-b4fd-cf296f3bbbce" url="https://x.com/PGATOUR/status/2066944978694148221" social-type="twitter" /][p]Scheffler, a two-time Masters champion, won last year's British Open and PGA Championship to give himself a first chance to finish the career Slam at Shinnecock.[/p][p]Scheffler would join [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/woods-tiger/jcA2kkj7/"]Tiger Woods[/a], McIlroy, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nicklaus-jack/6qVIRQU3/"]Jack Nicklaus[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/benzekri-marion/8OVpL2t2/"]Ben Hogan[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/player-gary/IJYMQppA/"]Gary Player[/a] and Gene Sarazen as the only players to complete the career Grand Slam.[/p][p]South Africa's Player is the only one to have completed the career Slam by winning a US Open.[/p][h2]Patience needed[/h2][p]Scheffler's only win this year came in the California desert in January, but he reeled off three runner-up efforts in a row including the Masters.[/p][p][b]"I feel like I've been close most of the year. I just haven't been as sharp as I needed,"[/b] Scheffler said. [b]"Margins are so small in this game, to be winning a lot of tournaments you've got to just be really sharp."[/b][/p][p]McIlroy is wary of Shinnecock luring players into mistakes.[/p][p]"This course demands so much patience and it can lure you into doing things you shouldn't do," he said.[/p][p]"If everything is going the way everyone wants it in terms of weather, setup, it's the best championship test in the country."[/p]