TOWN OF ERIN, Wis. - Every year the winner of the Masters enters the U.S. Open as the only golfer with a chance to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam, and Sergio Garcia took his turn facing the prospect at Erin Hills on Tuesday.

The calendar-year slam of golf's major championships has not been achieved for 87 years, since Bobby Jones swept the top events of his day by winning the 1930 U.S. Open, British Open, U.S. Amateur and British Amateur.

Tiger Woods accomplished the next best thing, by holding all four of the major titles at once after claiming the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship in 2000 and capping off the monopoly by adding the 2001 Masters to complete a 'Tiger Slam'.

The year's second major begins Thursday on this wide expanse of rolling hills.

"I guess the guy that wins the Masters every year has the potential of doing that. It is something nice to have the possibility of doing, but we all know how difficult it is," the Spaniard told reporters. "I just want to go one little tournament at a time and give my best this week and, hopefully by Sunday night, we can keep having that talk."

Garcia, 37, won his maiden major in Augusta in April in a playoff against England's Justin Rose and believes he should have many more chances to add to his list of majors.

"That's the goal and that's where we want to go," he said. "I still feel in good shape and my game feels nice. I'm still working hard on it.

"I definitely hope that I can keep playing well and win many, many more, now that we have our first one. But time will tell us."

Garcia said he has not lost the appetite for more despite satisfying a quest that had seemed a sure thing back when, at the age of 19, he pressed a 23-year-old Woods down the stretch of the final round at Medinah to finish runner-up at the 1999 PGA Championship.

"Obviously we've achieved something that we've been trying for so long," he said. "And it's easy to kind of take a deep breath and relax.

"(But) I'm still working on my game as much as I can and as hard as possible. I want to stay consistent, keep playing well, keep giving myself chances at winning majors and being in Ryder Cups."

McIlroy a fan of fescue

Rory McIlroy turned from excited to flabbergasted on Tuesday after the world's second-ranked player was told that U.S. Open officials had decided to mow some areas of the tall fescue that frames the fairways at Erin Hills.

McIlroy, one of the game's best drivers, had just spoken with reporters about how eager he was to attack the long, links-styled, rolling farmland course off the tee.

However, he was left incredulous when informed that some of the fescue lining the generous fairways was being mowed.

"Really? We have 60 yards from left line to right line," an exasperated McIlroy said. "You've got 156 of the best players in the world here. If you can't hit it within that avenue, you might as well pack your bags and go home.

"These are the widest fairways we've ever played in a U.S. Open. Even the first and second cut (of rough) is another 10 yards on top of that."

Some players in the field for the year's second major that gets underway on Thursday had grumbled about how hard it was to advance the ball out of the fescue that stood almost knee high.

Early on Tuesday morning, U.S. Golf Association officials told a small group of reporters that areas of fescue would be mowed because the tall, thin grass was laying down due to the heavy rains that hit the area on Monday night and into Tuesday.

"I get that it's thick and whatever, but it's a hazard," McIlroy said. "It's a U.S. Open, it's supposed to be a tough test. And if guys can't put it into play within a 50-yard zone, I don't think they've got much to complain about."

McIlroy, who has played sporadically this year due to a rib injury, said he believed the 7,741-yard Erin Hills course suited him.

"I don't feel like it's a secret that I feel like my driver is one of the biggest weapons in my bag," McIlroy, the 2011 U.S. Open winner at Congressional, said. "I wasn't crying when I saw that rain last night and this morning. It's a long golf course and it's only going to play longer. That benefits a few guys, and luckily I'm one of them."

U.S.OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

What: Second major of 2017

Where: Erin Hills Golf Course

When: Thursday-Sunday

TV: Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Fox Sports 1); 5-8 p.m. (KQDS Ch. 21); Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. (KQDS Ch. 21)