Nicklaus didn’t hold back in 2016 when Adam Scott opted out of the Rio Olympics. He called it sad, plain and simple. Ten years on, that same Australian is knocking on the door of a record that has had only Nicklaus’s name next to it for nearly three decades.

Adam Scott is set to play his 100th consecutive major at next month’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills after the USGA confirmed 35 exemptions into the field on Monday. The streak began at the 2001 British Open, and he has not missed a major since, even going through U.S. Open qualifying when he wasn’t exempt. The only man to go longer is Jack Nicklaus.

The 18x major winner has played 146 consecutive starts, running from the 1962 Masters through the 1998 U.S. Open. Even Tiger Woods hasn’t played 100 majors in total. Phil Mickelson has, but never more than 52 in a row. Sergio Garcia’s run of 82 straight ended at the 2020 Masters due to COVID-19.

It was Adam Scott’s tie for fourth at the Cadillac Championship at Doral that pushed him from 54th in the world to 43rd, sealing his Shinnecock start. He is also set to extend the run to 101 at the Open Championship in July, having already qualified through his Australian Open finish last December. However, Scott isn’t celebrating this milestone that much, as he wants to celebrate more important ones.

“I don’t know what to make of it,” he said. “Part of me doesn’t want to be the guy yet who just has all these other things that aren’t based around winning events. I would rather win some stuff, and let’s celebrate winning the U.S. Open, than just play in it.”

Scott’s closest call at the US Open came in 2005 when he finished fourth. Another notable story from his US Open appearances is when he played with a fractured bone in his hand in 2008 at Torrey Pines. He suffered the injury in mid-May when a friend slammed his hand in a car door in London, just weeks before the tournament. He was grouped with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, and finished tied for 26th.

The Nicklaus connection runs deeper than just the record, though. Back in 2016, when Scott opted out of the Rio Olympics, citing scheduling and personal commitments, Nicklaus was openly disappointed.

“I think that’s sad. I think it’s sad for the Olympics and for the game of golf,” Nicklaus said at the time.

Scott now gets ready for the US Open, but his plate has been just as full.

The longest-serving man: Adam Scott’s PGA Tour legacy

Scott’s term as PAC chairman covered the PGA Tour’s Saudi PIF negotiations, the launch of the Player Equity Programme, and clearing the path for LIV Golf players to return. Lucas Glover is the man running to replace him. Glover has been vocal about what he sees as shrinking opportunities on the Tour, specifically the $20 million signature events and their thinning fields.

The PAC chairmanship is for four years, and it gives players a direct seat at the table on decisions that shape the sport. Scott knows exactly what that responsibility looks like from the inside. He ruled out running again but hasn’t ruled out staying involved.

“There are some things I’ve been involved in that probably won’t be resolved this year,” Scott said. “I would be happy to have a say, and the only way to do that is to be involved.”

Adam Scott is chasing a century of major starts and is still unwilling to walk away from the harder conversations. That’s something!