Scottie Scheffler is preparing for a fierce defence of the Claret Jug at The Open Championship, determined to reclaim the trophy that must be returned on Tuesday. Scheffler knows a win at Royal Troon would make history, as the first back-to-back Open champion since Padraig Harrington’s consecutive victories.
The world number one collected the Claret Jug at Royal Portrush in 2025, finishing four strokes ahead of Harris English. That success delivered a fourth major title and a second major of the 2025 season. This year has been harder, with Scottie Scheffler’s best result in the majors coming at the Masters, where Rory McIlroy claimed the Green Jacket.
Scheffler admitted that handing back golf’s famous trophy will not be easy, yet the focus stays
on performance. The American has already shifted attention to what is needed across four rounds at The Open Championship, rather than dwelling on last year’s dominant display on the links at Royal Portrush.
"I don't really sit around too much and think about the past, to be honest with you," Scheffler said ahead of the Scottish Open. "I feel like I'm in the middle of my career, and probably the end of my career is more a time to reflect. Right now, I'm just focused on what I need to do. Maybe I should sit and enjoy things more, but that's just not my naturemy wife is better at that than me. One thing I will say is that I was surprised how much I enjoyed the Claret Jug. I always understood the history and the significance; you see the names on there and how far it goes back. It's the perfect-size trophynot too big, not too smalland you get to drink out of it. That's an added bonus. It was something that is very special to me. It will be very tough to hand it back on Tuesday next week, but I'll be fighting like heck to get it back on Sunday. "
Scheffler started the 2026 PGA Tour campaign strongly with victory at The American Express, setting early expectations. Since that win in January, Scottie Scheffler has not added another title, yet the results sheet still shows consistent elite form across several months against deep fields.
Across his subsequent events, Scheffler has recorded four runner-up finishes, including at the Travelers Championship. There have also been three additional top-four results. Although that sequence lacks a trophy lift, Scottie Scheffler believes another success is close, given the narrow margins that often decide golf tournaments at the highest level.
Scottie Scheffler’s chase for a career Grand Slam remains on hold after the U.S. Open. The 30-year-old had the opportunity to complete the set at last month’s major, but finished in a tie for fourth. The result highlighted strong play, yet also underlined how elusive the final piece of the Grand Slam has been.
| Event | Result |
|---|---|
| The American Express | Winner |
| Masters Tournament | Second behind Rory McIlroy |
| U.S. Open | Tied fourth |
| Travelers Championship | Runner-up |
| Other 2026 PGA Tour starts | Three additional top-four finishes |
In a league of their own Since May 2024, only three players have won five or more times on the PGA TOUR. pic.twitter.com/1aBz0PYgoQPGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 6, 2026
Scheffler was asked again about the gap since his last win and addressed the topic directly. The response highlighted both the frustration of near misses and the perspective gained from regular contention at the top of leaderboards across the season on the PGA Tour.
"I feel like I get that question every single weekI haven't had a good answer yet," Scheffler admitted. "I think I've been really close to winning some tournaments, and that can be frustrating. At the same time, I've had some good resultsa fourth and a second are not bad results by any means. Margins in golf are really small, and I just keep trying to do my best. I feel like no matter how the season goes, there's always shots I wish I could have back. There's always tournaments I feel like I should have won, and I didn't. That's just part of the game. You've got to ride with it, the highs and lows. Like I said last year at The Open: It's not a satisfying venture playing professional golf, so try to take the good with the bad. "
With the Claret Jug soon leaving the house, Scottie Scheffler approaches The Open Championship with clear goals. Recent results show form strong enough to challenge, even without recent wins. For golf fans, the focus now turns to whether consistent pressure can convert into another major title on links turf.
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