Scottie Scheffler waits to play on the eighth hole during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., Sunday, June 21, 2026.
Gerald Herbert/AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
About once a year I try to answer the hot topic question of which local professional franchise is going to win the next championship. In fairness, I pretty much whiffed on the Rangers taking it all in 2023 which, less than three seasons later, still feels like maybe it didn’t happen.
But I can’t give you the Stars, Rangers, Cowboys or Mavs today. Not now. The two best candidates, for me, are the Wings and Scottie Scheffler.
The Wings might deserve it simply because they are the only team that actually wants to make downtown Dallas its home, if only the city will keep its promises and honor its contracts. In the meantime, the Wings rallied from 14 points down after three quarters late Saturday night to beat Chicago and run their record to 10-6.
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Why is this significant? The Wings were 10-34 a year ago, so 10-6 is one heck of a leap. Keep one eye on the local WNBA team, even if it means a drive to southwest Arlington.
At this point, Scheffler, who turned 30 on Father’s Day, has to qualify as the best pro franchise in these parts. With four majors in his pocket, he made his run at the career grand slam this weekend in Southampton, N.Y. After a rough first round that had him tied for 49th, Scheffler grinded his way into Sunday’s final pairing but never made a real charge at Wyndham Clark Sunday, finishing fourth at even par.
To say there’s no shame in tying for fourth is putting it mildly.
Brooks Koepka, the winner of the 2018 U.S. Open — the last one played at this devilish Shinnecock Hills links-style layout — missed the cut at 10-over par after two rounds.
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Most of his former LIV buddies (at least the big names) joined him as Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed and Cam Smith were nowhere to be seen on the weekend. Neither were some of the PGA Tour’s finest, including Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Harris English, Rickie Fowler, Si Woo Kim, Adam Scott and last year’s Open winner, J.J. Spaun.
Just getting to Saturday was half the battle for most.
For Scheffler to finish in a tie for fourth also feels like further testimony to the golfer he has been in 2026. Since winning the American Express in Palm Springs back in January, his first event, Scheffler has run off top-5 finishes at Phoenix (third), Pebble Beach (fourth), the Masters (second to Rory McIlroy), the Heritage at Harbour Town (second), the Cadillac at Doral (third) and the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in McKinney (third).
Scheffler began the final round six shots back of Clark, but never put together a birdie streak to get himself into real contention. By late afternoon, it was only a matter of whether the wobbly Clark would hold it together enough to beat Sam Burns, who finished at 3-under par after just missing a birdie on 18. With two putts on the final green to shoot a 3-over-par 73, Clark won his second Open by a single stroke.
This was Scheffler’s first attempt at the career slam since winning the PGA and Open Championship in 2025. It has been known to take time. Ask McIlroy who went 0 for 10 at the Masters, with the other trophies on his shelf, before breaking through at Augusta last spring.
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Ask Scheffler’s Dallas pal, Jordan Spieth, now 0 for 9 at the PGA after taking the Tour by storm and winning the other three majors before his 24th birthday.
Ask Arnold Palmer who made 33 tries at the PGA Championship (OK, he wasn’t likely to win in those final 10 or 15) without finding the mark.
When you think about it, 2027 makes more sense for Scheffler to achieve the grand slam. The man who emulated Tiger Woods early in his career by wearing Tiger’s Nike shoes and apparel, the only golfer who even qualifies to be discussed in remotely similar terms of PGA Tour dominance, will be going for the Open championship at Pebble Beach. That’s where Woods, at the very height of his powers in 2000, won the U.S. Open by 15 strokes.
On Sunday, Scheffler came up short against the same man who chased him down here at the Byron Nelson with a final-round 60. This was a massively different test of golf. Three players broke par at Shinnecock Hills as opposed to Clark shooting 30 under at the Nelson.
But he’s still a great bet to finish the career slam in the next 2-3 years, which has to rank right alongside winning Super Bowls or Stanley Cups, titles that feel awfully elusive for the last quarter of a century.
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So be patient. And give those winning Wings a look if you want to see how champions are built.