Scottie Scheffler tees off during a practice round ahead of the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
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No golfer has ever won a major championship on his birthday.
Scottie Scheffler could change that this Sunday, the day he turns 30, and earn an even more permanent spot in the sport's history as just the seventh golfer to claim the career Grand Slam (all four men's majors).
Scheffler is the +455 favorite at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on New York's Long Island, marking the 15th consecutive major he's entered as the oddsmakers' favorite or co-favorite to win. This stretch includes every major since the start of 2023, when he returned to Augusta National as the reigning Masters champion. He's 3-for-14 thus far during that stretch, with victories at the 2024 Masters, 2025 PGA Championship and 2025 Open Championship.
Scheffler, however, hasn't been at the top of his game in 2026 – at least by the incredibly high standards he's set for himself during a 161-week run atop the world rankings. Slow starts have largely been the culprit. In 11 officials starts since his last win at the American Express in January, he's been inside the Top 15 after the first round only twice. While he leads the PGA Tour with a 67.5 final-round scoring average, his first-round average of 69.9 ranks 51st on the season.
“I feel like I’ve been close most of the year. I just haven’t been as sharp as I needed to be,†said Scheffler, who also has three runner-up finishes in 2026 and has only finished outside the Top 15 twice. “The margins in this game are so small. For me to be winning a lot of tournaments, you’ve got to just be really sharp. Maybe I’ve just been a touch dull. By no means is it a bad year. Is it up to the play I’ve had the previous couple of years? Probably not, but it’s not far off.â€
A view of a scoreboard prior to the 126th U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. (Photo by Kate McShane/Getty Images)
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This is the fifth year in a row that Scheffler enters the U.S. Open as the world's No. 1 player, with finishes of T-2 in 2022, 3rd in 2023, T-41 in 2024, and T-7 in 2025.
The only other player in history to enter the U.S. Open as world No. 1 more than two years in a row was Tiger Woods, who did it 11 straight years from 2000 through 2010. Woods won the tournament three times during that run and remains the only golfer to capture a U.S. Open title while holding the No. 1 ranking.
“Would it be a dream to win the U.S. Open? Of course,†said Scheffler, who has an 8:14 a.m. first round tee time on Thursday playing alongside defending champion J.J. Spaun and U.S. Amateur champion Mason Howell.
“But at the end of the day, the Grand Slam has never been a motivating factor for me. I'm going to step on the first tee and remind myself I've done everything I possibly could in order to play well. Now it’s just a matter of going out there and trying to execute and going back to enjoying the competition versus feeling like you have to win.â€
First Round Tee Times
U.S. Open Odds
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland acknowledges the crowd during a practice round prior to the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in New York. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
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Reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy is the second favorite at +940, according to DraftKings odds. McIlroy, one of the six golfers to win the career Grand Slam, has finished in the Top 10 in six of his past seven U.S. Open appearances, including runner-up showings in 2023 and 2024.
With McIlroy's defense at The Masters and Aaron Rai's win at the PGA Championship, it marks the first time in the era of the four current majors (since 1934) that Europeans have won the first two majors in a calendar year. Prior to the start of 2026, Americans had won 10 of the previous 11 majors.
“Obviously 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 at Augusta and Aronimink,†McIlroy said of the firm, fast and windswept test facing the field at Shinnecock. “So, it certainly wouldn’t surprise me to see a few players from Europe and the UK in contention on Sunday.â€
Spain's Jon Rahm is the third betting favorite at +1175, with Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood (both +2250 and both from England) also in the Top 10 along with Ludvig Aberg (+2600) of Sweden.
Brooks Koepka won the U.S. Open the last time it was played at Shinnecock Hills in 2018. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
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Americans Xander Schauffele (+1850), Cameron Young (+1900), Brooks Koepka (+3200) and Bryson DeChambeau (+3300) are also among the Top 10 in the DraftKings pre-tournament odds. Young, a New York native, has the best odds of any player without a major title to his name, while Koepka won the last U.S. Open held at Shinnecock Hills in 2018.
A Birthday Celebration?
Balls of practice balls at Shinnecock Hills ahead of the 2026 U.S. Open (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
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While no golfer has won a major championship on his birthday, a couple have come close this year and last, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Russell Henley tied for third place on his 37th birthday at this year's Masters and Chris Gotterup finished third on his 26th birthday at last year's Open Championship.
Phil Mickelson finished runner-up on his birthday at the U.S. Open twice (2002 and 2013), as the U.S. Open famously remains the only major that's eluded him during his career.
Scottie Scheffler is the favorite or co-favorite for the 15th straight major championship at the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
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The stage is now set for Scheffler to take his shot at history – both in terms of the birthday win as well as the career Grand Slam. But the pre-tournament favorite knows he needs to avoid another slow start, not to mention limiting the mistakes that a demanding U.S. Open setup can yield. That's especially true at Shinnecock Hills, where the fescue grasses off the fairways are unforgiving, the wind always blows, and the green complexes can be perilous.
In four modern U.S. Opens played at Shinnecock, only three of 659 players have finished under par for 72 holes.
“A lot of it is execution,†said Scheffler. “And then there’s definitely an element of patience to it because you can hit some pretty decent shots and find yourself in some spots that are quite brutal, especially when you get some high winds.â€
