"The big thing for me is instinct": Adam Scott on his milestone 100th straight major

This weekend's U.S. Open is all but certain to be the sternest test of golf seen this year, but the windswept conditions at Shinnecock Hills are nothing Adam Scott hasn't seen before.

In fact, the totemic Aussie has just about seen it all, having played in 99 straight majors up until this weekend. As he tees off to begin his 100th, he'll become just the second professional golfer ever to do so, joining one of the all-time greats in Jack Nicklaus in recording a century of straight starts in golf's big four tournaments.

Scott's journey, which began all the way back in 2001 at The Open Championship, has seen him reach the game's highest heights. In 2013, he ascended to world number 1 for the very first time, capturing a green jacket at The Masters along the way.

“I think I’ve done a good job staying healthy and staying fit and strong, and relevant to the modern game,” Scott said in a sit-down interview with Rolex. “The biggest thing for me is leaning into my instinct and playing as much like a kid as I can.

The years since his peak have seen Scott experience mixed fortunes, however his longevity remains remarkable all the same. Scott has experienced next to no injury issues in a quarter-century playing at the sport's very highest level, and remains freakishly sharp even today, at the age of 45. At the time of writing, he ranks first on tour in strokes gained with approach shots, and sits in the top 30 players in terms of driving distance.

"I think experience matters when it comes down to the end of the tournament, or if there are very unusual conditions during an event. I can give myself a pat on the back for hanging in there and playing all these events. I think there’s some luck in it, but I think I’ve had generally great advice around me from a physical and training standpoint that’s kept me healthy and pretty much injury free.”

Regardless of whether or not he captures another major, the mark Scott will leave on the game is indelible. His buttery smooth swing has been named perhaps the greatest and most desirable since the days of Freddie Couples, the envy of swing coaches across the world. 

Meanwhile his classic, refined sense of style, embodied in partnerships with the likes of Uniqlo and Rolex, have made him one of the sport's modern day sports icons. As a Rolex testimonee, he joins a small, incredibly elite group of golfers to represent the Swiss watch manufacturer, including Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.

“I have been fortunate enough to be a Testimonee for 25 years now. I obviously know a lot about Rolex and what they do in the game of golf, along with many other areas. To think that they had the foresight to partner with a young kid from Australia who didn’t know much about the company or the game of golf at the age of 21 is quite incredible.”