SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. -- When Adam Scott tees it up on the opening hole of the 126th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on Thursday, he'll become only the second golfer to compete in 100 consecutive major championships.
Eighteen-time major champion Jack Nicklaus was the other one, and he made it to 146 in a row.
Scott, 45, doesn't have any interest in trying to catch the Golden Bear.
"It's been fun," Scott said Tuesday. "I had a photograph with Jack Nicklaus a couple of weeks ago at his Memorial Tournament, and he's the other guy who made it to a hundred in a row. He, in fact, made it way past that, and I can't even think about playing another 11 or 12 years straight of these, but I'm really excited for this week."
Scott's streak began at the 2001 British Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in England, where he tied for 47th six days after his 21st birthday. He made 74 cuts in his previous 99 majors, with 45 top-25 finishes, 20 top-10s and nine top-fives.
His only victory in a major came in the 2013 Masters, when he defeated Ángel Cabrera on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to become the only Australian golfer to win a green jacket.
Joining Nicklaus as the only golfers to start in 100 straight majors is a feat on its own.
Jordan Spieth's streak of 52 majors in a row is the second most among active golfers.
"Yeah, it's an interesting one, as I've thought about it over the last couple of weeks, obviously this week getting closer," Scott said. "I found it difficult at first reflecting on something while I'm still playing. I think I've never really been one to dwell on milestones. I think it's something I'll probably do at the end of my career.
"It's a strange one because it's not something you really set out to do or aim for."
There were a couple of close calls during Scott's streak. He slammed his right hand in a car door and fractured a bone above the little finger weeks before the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California.
Scott didn't play competitively for a month but still teed it up in the U.S. Open, tying for 26th.
Before the 2024 U.S. Open, Scott lost in a playoff for the final spot in a qualifier and was the first alternate. But he earned a place in the field after the United States Golf Association adjusted its rankings following the death of golfer Grayson Murray. Scott, who had been ranked No. 61 in the Official World Golf Ranking, moved up a spot after Murray (No. 59) was removed from the list.
"I would say probably, overall, a certain level of focus has been required over the 25 years to maintain, I'll call it golf at this elite level, major championship level," Scott said. "It has taken a lot of focus to do that. I think there are lots of little things you could break down after that, but I'm quite proud that I've managed to keep my focus this long and keep pushing through."
Nicklaus' streak started in the 1962 Masters and ended in the 1998 British Open. The four-time U.S. Open winner received eight special exemptions from the USGA between 1991 and 2000 to keep his streak intact.
"Adam has kept himself in shape," Nicklaus said at the Memorial Tournament earlier this month. "He plays well. He's got a few more years to play in him. Whether he'll get 40 more, I don't know. But anyway, he's been a good player and he's been right there."
Eight-time major winner Tom Watson played in 87 in a row, Sergio García in 84 and Vijay Singh in 67.
Because of injuries, Tiger Woods managed only 46 consecutive majors before a knee surgery ended his streak after the 2008 U.S. Open.
Rory McIlroy would be playing in his 70th straight major if he hadn't missed the 2015 British Open because he ruptured a ligament in his left ankle while playing soccer with friends in Northern Ireland. He was the first golfer not to defend his Open title since Ben Hogan in 1954.
"Absolutely incredible," McIlroy said of Scott's streak. "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's a lot of things that need to fall in line -- births of children that fall on those weeks, all that sort of stuff."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.