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When Rory McIlroy won The Masters in 2025, it was a career-defining moment for the golf superstar. Not only did McIlroy win the Tournament he had been chasing for 15 years, but he also became the sixth men’s golfer to complete the career grand slam.
McIlroy joined Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods in solidifying himself as one of the best to ever play the game.
“Getting the Masters, the career Grand Slam, the fifth major, getting all that out of the way. I think it will allow me to play with a lot more freedom,” McIlroy said of the feat.
This week, Scottie Scheffler has a chance to join that illustrious group should he win the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.
However, unlike McIlroy, Scheffler doesn’t seem all that invested in the accomplishment.
Scottie Scheffler Downplays Idea Of Winning Career Grand Slam
“It’s kind of a funny thing,” Scheffler told members of the media on Tuesday when asked about completing the set. “It’s like, yeah, if I win this tournament, that would be amazing, but I think then I show up the next week, and it’s like, ‘OK, now Scottie’s won the Grand Slam, he’s won all these golf tournaments. Now, where do we go from here?’
“So no matter what, I think as a player and as a professional athlete, you’re never going to live up to the expectations of people. I think sometimes that’s a little bit of the fallacy in our sport is like, if I win the U.S. Open, then I’m going to be satisfied. I’ve won all the tournaments, and my career is essentially over, and I’ve accomplished everything I could want to accomplish. But I think the goal posts are always just moved further and further.
Scottie Scheffler ahead of his first attempt at achieving the career grand slam this week:
“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.”pic.twitter.com/JRZGbsKUyh
— Underdog Golf (@UnderdogGolf) June 16, 2026
“…For me, would it be a dream to win the U.S. Open? Of course. 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.”
Now, to be fair to McIlroy. It took him years and years of trying to complete the career grand slam. This is Scheffler’s first attempt after winning the British Open and PGA Championships for the first time in 2025.
So perhaps his view of the situation will change if he goes years without achieving it. But for now, Scheffler seems to be pretty nonchalant about doing something that only six men in the history of the game have ever achieved.