Johnson Wagner believes that Ted Scott will be reminding Scottie Scheffler how unfair Shinnecock Hills will be during the US Open in practice rounds ahead of the third major of the year.
Plenty of eyes are on Scheffler this week. The 29-year-old has the opportunity to complete the Career Grand Slam in the coming days, with only the US Open now missing from his collection.
But Shinnecock Hills is not going to make life easy for the world number one. Only a handful of players have ever escaped a US Open at the Southampton course still under par.
And Scheffler has had an intriguing year.
What Ted Scott will be telling Scottie Scheffler ahead of the US Open
Few would have believed at the start of the year that Scottie Scheffler would reach the US Open with just one victory under his belt. It would have seemed even more laughable had fans been told that he would remain on one victory after he opened his account at The American Express.
Scheffler let frustration get the better of him on his most recent start, at the Memorial Tournament. He looked distraught when his tee shot found the water on the 16th hole during Thursday’s opening round.
Many will recall Scheffler getting angry at the BMW Championship in 2024. He seems to be far from comfortable when he is not in complete control.
And speaking on Scorecard on CBS, Johnson Wagner explained how important the mental game will be for Scheffler this week.
“When you think about Shinnecock, and 16 at Muirfield Village is the perfect example, Shinnecock, you’re going to hit good shots that end up in bad places, and it’s going to happen a lot,” he said.
“So does he have the ability, does he have the patience, and does he have the acceptance? I think that’s probably a conversation that he and Ted are having out there in practice rounds, like, ‘hey man, not every shot’s going to be perfect. This is not the kind of golf course you can ball-strike your way around. You’re going to have to get it up and down, and you’re going to have to accept some bad outcomes on what you feel are good shots’.”
Johnson Wagner believes Scottie Scheffler will complete the Career Grand Slam
Any other player would be delighted with the season Scheffler has had. However, he has set such a high standard in recent years that his results this year do suggest that he is not playing as well.
It is easy to forget that he took some time to really get going in 2025, though largely due to the hand injury that delayed his start to the season.
But he has been unable to find that extra gear this year. Something is not quite clicking for Scheffler, and he is often leaving himself with too much to do to win events.
Nevertheless, Wagner believes that Scheffler is well placed to win his fifth major title and add his name to the history books.
“It’s been weird. Last year he dominated so many events, winning. But this year he’s gotten beaten a few times. He’s been outplayed a bit on Sundays, and he’s been trailing by more than we’re used to seeing,” he said.
“I think this golf course in particular, Shinnecock Hills, and when you look at Birkdale too for The Open Championship, they’re both very demanding golf courses. I think the harder the test, the more Scottie Scheffler has a chance. So many guys are going to be eliminated before they tee it up at Shinnecock, with the winds, with the difficulty of the course, with the strategic elements that are needed to get around this place for 72 holes.
“I think everything’s pointed towards Scottie’s direction to pick up that Career Grand Slam.”
There is plenty that needs to fall into place for Scheffler to win this week. But it will shock no one if his name is at the top of the leaderboard on Sunday evening.
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