Gary Player has delivered his verdict on Scottie Scheffler emulating Rory McIlroy at some point in the future by winning the career Grand Slam.
Player was one of the greatest golfers of his generation, and the same can be said for world number one Scheffler and his nearest challenger in the rankings, McIlroy.
The 36-year-old achieved golfing immortality this year when he completed the career Grand Slam by winning The Masters at Augusta National.
Scheffler and McIlroy are the two leading Player of the Year contenders, and after the Ryder Cup last week, the man from Northern Ireland is right back in the mix to win the award.
Player is clearly a big fan of both Scheffler and McIlroy.
However, it was only last month when Player said that Jordan Spieth was the best golfer in the world rather than Scheffler.
That said, the South African suggested that Spieth had been led down the wrong path by his coach.
Now Player has made it clear that Scheffler is indeed the best golfer on the planet.
But does the nine-time major winner believe the man from Dallas, Texas, will complete the career Grand Slam, just like McIlroy did in April?
Gary Player says if Scottie Scheffler will win the career Grand Slam like Rory McIlroy
Player himself is part of the Grand Slam club, alongside McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen.
Scheffler will be looking to become the seventh man to join that club in June when the US Open heads to Shinnecock Hills.
However, even if the world number one doesn’t get the job done then, he will have plenty more opportunities in the future to do so.
The 29-year-old has been head and shoulders above everyone else in 2025, with six wins including two major championships to his name.
Player was asked who he believes will be the next golfer to win the career Grand Slam, when speaking to NBC Sports anchor John Clark.
He replied: “No question, Scottie Scheffler. I mean Scottie Scheffler is the best player in the world today. One thing that fascinated me, I’ve been talking to some coaches around the country to see what we could do about my Grandson, to get him on a team, and I was speaking to the man in Dallas the other day and he said, ‘Scottie Scheffler was at our college, we knew what a good player he was but he was the best athlete’. So that is a very significant thing.“
Scheffler will surely complete the Grand Slam at some point, although it might be more difficult for him to achieve than it was for McIlroy.
The Masters was the one major missing from McIlroy’s collection before April of this year, and that meant he had to return to the same golf course every year to get the job done.
Scheffler won’t have that luxury.
Nick Faldo made Shinnecock Hills point as Scottie Scheffler eyes Grand Slam immortality
There are not many golf courses that Scheffler’s game is not suited to.
However, Shinnecock Hills is absolutely perfect for him.
Sir Nick Faldo made that exact point just after the 19-time PGA Tour winner triumphed at The Open Championship at Royal Portrush in July.
The Englishman explained: “I’ve got a feeling this man is going to be next. You know, we waited all of those years after Tiger for the Grand Slam, Rory makes it after 11 years. I think we’re going to be on that he makes it next year.
“Shinnecock is America’s kind of links, inland links, with wispy, fescue grass, breezy. Absolutely right up his street.“
In addition to those comments from Faldo, any believers of fate out there may be interested to know that the Sunday of the US Open next year will be Scheffler’s 30th birthday.
2026 could well be Scheffler’s time but if it’s not, it surely won’t be long before Player, McIlroy and co have to welcome a new member into their extremely exclusive club.
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