U.S. Open: 100 in a row — Adam Scott's remarkable major streak reaches triple digits

Southampton, N.Y. — Shortly before this month’s Memorial, Adam Scott located Jack Nicklaus to pose for a picture. Scott is about to compete in his 100th consecutive major, which is a pretty astounding achievement even when you consider that Nicklaus topped it. 

“One hundred,” Scott said to Nicklaus, “I feel like it’s an eternity. And you’ve got 46 more! I don’t think I’ll make that.” 

Nicklaus chuckled as he told the story earlier this month, then paid tribute to Scott’s remarkable longevity. “To be prepared and be able to play and stay healthy so you can play is quite an achievement,” he said, and he would know, having played in every major from the 1962 Masters to the 1998 Open Championship. And now, Scott is about to join his three-figure territory. 

Play Golf Pick ‘Em now to make your predictions for the U.S. Open!

Golfers have the longest careers of any pro athletes — that’s what happens when you’re not getting hit or constantly sprinting every day of your professional life — but even by the lengthy standards of a golf career, what Scott is doing right now is absurd. He’s avoided injury and the pitfalls of a capricious sport, he’s won his way into tournaments and qualified his way in. The only time he hasn’t played in four majors in the last quarter-century is when he, and the rest of the golf world, sat at home during what would have been the 2020 Open Championship. 

For his part, the 45-year-old Scott recognizes the magnitude of the achievement, even if he downplays it a bit. “I think there’s some luck in it, but I think I’ve had generally great advice around me from a physical and training standpoint that’s kept me healthy and pretty much injury-free,” Scott said earlier this year prior to the Cadillac Championship. “My head’s still really in, like I should be able to compete and win these things, so maybe I don’t see it as much of an accomplishment. But I guess if you ask someone who is at two majors, it seems like a long way away.”

In his very first major of the streak, the 2001 Open Championship, Scott placed T47. Since then, he’s amassed 20 top-10s, including a victory in 2013 at the Masters. He’s placed in the top three seven times, and he’s still throwing down red numbers — he finished T10 at the 2024 Open Championship, and last year at the U.S. Open, he was one stroke off the lead heading into the final day at Oakmont. 

Tournament

Wins

Top 5

Top 10

Masters

1

2

5

PGA Championship

0

3

6

U.S. Open

0

1

3

The Open Championship

0

3

6

“It’s absolutely incredible,” Rory McIlroy said at the Memorial. “I think to even just play 100 majors throughout your career is an amazing achievement, but to play 100 in a row … I just think about the level that you need to be at, and no injuries.” 

There have been close calls. Scott broke his hand shortly before the 2008 U.S. Open, but managed to play anyway, finishing T26. He needed to go through qualifying to reach the 2018 U.S. Open. And he joined the 2024 U.S. Open field as an alternate, ranked 61st when the top 60 were automatic qualifiers. He was added to the field after the suicide of Grayson Murray. . 

Plus, it’s worth noting that the departure of numerous ranked players for LIV has helped ease Scott’s path. He’s only entitled to an annual exemption into the Masters; he has to play his way into the other three, either by ranking or by strong performances in prior majors. He only has one top-10 performance in the 2020s and one win over that span, the 2020 Genesis three weeks before the world shut down. That means he’s needed to play his way into every major through consistent week-to-week performances to stay within the appropriate ranking cutoffs, usually in the top-50 to top-60 range. But hey, once you’re in the clubhouse, it all counts. 

The closest active player to Scott’s record? That would be Jordan Spieth, at 52. In other words, Spieth is still 12 years away from matching Scott’s record. 

For the record, Scott would match Nicklaus’ streak at the 2038 Masters. For now, though, he’ll settle for just winning this week. 

“Part of me doesn’t want to be the guy yet who just has all these other things that aren’t based around winning events,” Scott laughed. “I would rather win some stuff, and let’s celebrate winning the U.S. Open, than just playing in it.”