The 6 Golfers In The Exclusive Club Scottie Scheffler Could Join With US Open Victory
Scottie Scheffler has been accumulating titles and records in superhuman fashion, but a US Open win this week could gain him entry to a very exclusive club...
Scottie Scheffler has cemented his place in golfing folklore over the past few years, winning a couple of Majors and 11 PGA Tour wins on a transcendent run of dominance. After securing the Memorial Tournament trophy last week, Scheffler is bidding to become the first man to follow up a PGA Tour win by lifting the US Open trophy.
Tiger Woods dominated in similar fashion during his all-conquering 2000 campaign, and with a third Major title at Pinehurst No.2, Scheffler would be well on his way to eclipsing that feat... while also gaining entry to a very exclusive club!
How Many Professionals Have Held The Masters And The US Open In The Same Season?
Six players have won The Masters and The US Open in the same season, and only two have achieved this in the last 52 years. The list of champions who have held both titles non-concurrently measures at 17, which is an impressive stat in itself, but the 'super-six' present a real who's who of golfing royalty...
1. Jordan Spieth
Jordan Spieth threatened his own period of dominance back in 2015, securing two PGA Tour wins, the Tour Championship and most impressively – two Major titles. To this date he remains the most recent player to hold the US Open and The Masters in the same year, thanks to a dominant display at Chambers Bay.
A one-shot victory over Dustin Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen gave Spieth one half of the career grand slam, and while his fortunes have changed slightly in recent years he will still fancy his chances to complete the slam before his career is done.
2. Tiger Woods
Like most records in golf, the name Tiger Woods doesn't take long to find. Despite winning The Masters on five occasions, and The US Open on three, he only held the two titles together once – in 2002.
A typically unrelenting display saw Woods finish as the only man under-par at the end of a gruelling week at Bethpage Black, securing his second US Open in three years.
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3. Jack Nicklaus
Jump back 30 years and you will find the third person with a seat at this particular table, and once again it's one of the true greats of the game. Jack Nicklaus held the title along with the Green Jacket in 1972, and similarly to Woods this was a record he only held once despite winning six Masters and four US Opens.
Four rounds of 74 or better saw Nicklaus hold off Bruce Crampton and Arnold Palmer at Pebble Beach, securing his 12th Major in the process.
4. Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer became only the third person to hold The Masters and The US Open, when winning the event in 1960. Surprisingly, that was the only time Palmer held the US Open, but in doing so he took his tally to three on route to a seven-Major haul.
After trailing the leader by eight strokes at the halfway stage, Palmer rose up the leaderboard over the weekend. A closing 65 was enough to secure a two-shot victory over fellow legend Jack Nicklaus at Cherry Hills.
5. Ben Hogan
Ben Hogan bucks the trend of only completing the US Open and Masters double once, as he held both titles concurrently in 1951 and 1953. Wins at Oakmont and Oakland Hills helped him become the only person to achieve this feat twice, forming part of an impressive career totalling nine-Majors and a career grand slam.
6. Craig Wood
The first person to achieve the double was Craig Wood, over 80 years ago in 1941. Wood won his Green Jacket by three shots from Byron Nelson, and later that season claimed the US Open at Colonial Country Club.
A three-shot victory over Denny Shute would secure his second and final Major Championship win, in a career that recorded 28 professional wins.
Barry Plummer is our Staff Writer, joining in January 2024 after seven years as a PE Teacher. He now writes about instruction, working closely with Golf Monthly's Top 50 Coaches to provide hints and tips about all aspects of the game. As someone who came into golf at a later age, Barry is very passionate about supporting the growth of the game and creating opportunities for everyone to access it. A member at Sand Moor Golf Club in Leeds, he looks forward to getting out on the course at least once a week and making up for lost time in the pursuit of a respectable handicap.
Barry is currently playing:
Driver: Ping G425
Hybrid: TaylorMade Stealth 4 Hybrid
Irons: Mizuno JPX 921 4-PW
Wedges: TaylorMade RAC 60, Callaway Jaws MD5 54
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour
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