Adam Scott will keep his astonishing streak of competing in every men’s golf major since the 2001 Open Championship alive after squeezing into the field for the US Open this week.
Australia’s only Masters winner will make his 92nd straight appearance in a major championship at Pinehurst No.2, having feared his run would end after losing out in a play-off to countryman Cameron Davis in qualifying last week.
But after the PGA Tour’s Memorial Tournament finished in Ohio on Monday morning (AEST), Scott’s world ranking is projected to be 61 – good enough to keep his record alive.
The US Golf Association fills out its field by allocating spots to players not already qualified inside the world’s top 60 the week of the US Open.
But the USGA said it would provide the last spot in the US Open entry list for the first eligible golfer outside the top 60 after withdrawing the late Grayson Murray from the field.
Two-time PGA Tour winner Murray, 30, died by suicide last month after withdrawing from a PGA Tour event with two holes remaining in his second round.
Adam Scott will keep his majors streak alive.Credit: The Canadian Press
Murray is still in the Official World Golf Rankings at 61 this week, but under the two-year rolling formula was projected to be above Scott when the rankings were recalibrated on Monday night (AEST) after Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial event.
The PGA Tour has staged a number of tributes for Murray since his death, which came four months after he won the Sony Open in Hawaii.
Scott, 43, has played every major since The Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes in 2001, but knew that record was in jeopardy after Davis beat him for the last spot from a qualifying section in Ohio.
Scott’s majors streak is second only to that of Nicklaus (146) after he passed Tom Watson last year. He will join fellow Australians Davis, Jason Day, Min Woo Lee, Cameron Smith and Jason Scrivener in the field at Pinehurst.
Meanwhile, Smith’s US Open preparation took a massive hit after a scarcely believable collapse in the LIV Golf event at Houston on Monday (AEST).
Having birdied four of his first 10 holes to be in a top 10 position during the final round, Smith dropped 12 shots during his closing eight holes.
He posted a final-round eight-over 80 to plummet to a tied-48th finish at four-over for the event, 19 shots behind Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz.
Smith’s teammate on his all-Australian Ripper GC team, Lucas Herbert (-10), enjoyed his best finish since switching to the Saudi-backed league in a share of sixth.
“Very happy with the form this week – best finish for the season and something to be very proud [of],” Herbert said.
The US Open is the final chance for Smith, whose world ranking has plummeted to 69 due to LIV Golf’s shutout, to push for points as he faces a near impossible task to surpass Day (20) and Lee (35) for the two spots on Australia’s team for the Paris Olympics.
Hannah Green and Minjee Lee will be Australia’s representatives in the women’s event.
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