Scottie Scheffler has spoken ahead of the US Open as a former champion sustains an injury ahead of the major. The world No.1 is among the favourites to win the US Open at Shinnecock Hills this weekend. A victory would see him become only the seventh golfer in history to complete a career Grand Slam.
Scheffler Embraces the Challenge
The 29-year-old, who tied for 12th at the recent Canadian Open, claimed the PGA Championship and Open Championship titles last year, adding to his two Masters triumphs, but is without a win since January. Shinnecock Hills has previously been a tough course when hosting the US Open, leading Scheffler to scout the venue earlier this month.
“Once you start missing fairways out there, you have no chance,” Scheffler said of his experience at Shinnecock Hills ahead of the Memorial Tournament. “But the fairways are generous enough to where it provides you some opportunity and that way it’s just that the green complexes are extraordinarily difficult, and so they can put the pins wherever they want and make the scores as high as they could possibly want them to be.”
Scheffler has made an admission about the US Open as he steps up his preparations for the major. Despite the pressure on him to secure a US Open title, Scheffler has admitted that he is embracing the task. “I like the challenge of playing a really hard golf course against a really good field,” he said.
Thoughts on USGA Approach
The event being hosted at Shinnecock Hills could be a crucial factor. When the New York course last hosted the major in 2018, Brooks Koepka won the title with a score of one-over-par. Scheffler has shared his thoughts on the United States Golf Association’s approach to the US Open.
“It’s hard when you run one tournament a year — and you run it on a different golf course every year — to get it just right,” Scheffler said. “And you’re trying to make it hard. I think in the US Open, they push the boundaries. If they’re going to continue to push the boundaries, eventually they’ll screw up and then they’ll dial it back.”
Brooks Koepka Forced to Withdraw
Brooks Koepka withdrew from the final round of the Canadian Open on Sunday. The 36-year-old had admitted to suffering from a hand injury, which made it difficult to grip his clubs due to numbness. The situation raises questions over whether the five-time major champion will recover in time for the US Open.
Koepka had hoped to complete his final round in Toronto but suffered a setback shortly before he was due to tee off. “The whole warm-up, I felt fine, I was absolutely good,” Koepka said on Sunday. “Then got to the range and went to grip the club and I just couldn't even grip it. So it lasted - it was all day. Felt better the last few holes. I don't know if that's just the meds kicked in or what it is but hopefully we'll figure it out now.”
