Charging Scott preparing for another shot at major glory
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents
Adam Scott stands there on the beach in a form-fitting black wetsuit, some of those dark curls plastered to his forehead, as he looks out at the waves in the ocean.
You hear him discuss the similarities between golf and surfing in the context of the competition between a man and the elements. As he gets up on his surfboard and rides a wave in to shore, Scott talks about the feeling "when you finally catch the big one."
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Cue the end of the new "Voices" PSA with Scott that will begin airing Thursday during the first round of his title defense at the Shell Houston Open. "Catching the big one," though, could be just the beginning for the talented Scott.
The 27-year-old Aussie has won two of the PGA TOUR's signature events -- the 2004 PLAYERS Championship and the 2006 TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola. In 27 major championship starts, though, he has just three top-10s, with a tie for third at the '06 PGA Championship his best finish.
Scott got a taste of what such a victory might be like when he stayed behind to celebrate the 2006 U.S. Open title with his close friend Geoff Ogilvy. The group sat in the lobby bar of a White Plains, N.Y., hotel late into the night -- taking sips from the big silver trophy as other guests snapped photos with their cell phones.
Scott wants that for himself someday. So the five-time winner on the PGA TOUR has spent the better part of the last six months working hard on his short game. The results have been striking. He ranks first in putting from 15-20 feet after being 45th last year, and he's second from 10-15 feet -- a jump of 99 spots.
"There's room for improvement as there is in my ball-striking and driving, but I think I've brought my chipping and putting up a level. It's feeling really good," said Scott, who works with Tiger Woods' former coach Butch Harmon and patterned his swing early on after the world No. 1.
"My mental approach, I really have taken some measures in that respect. More discipline-wise, working on breathing, incorporating some yoga practices into my workout and controlling my breathing, which I think is pretty important.
"I've gone about it from all angles and kind of tried to think outside the box a little bit, as well, because that might be what it takes to kind of breakthrough and get competitive in these majors week-after-week."
Scott picked up his eighth international victory earlier this year when he shot a sizzling 61 in the final round of the Commercialbank Qatar Masters. "I think some of the stuff that I've worked on, the breathing and the putting, definitely was a factor ... because my putting was beautiful that day, maybe the best I've ever putted," he said.
Scott's first three events on the PGA TOUR this year have found him playing solidly, as well. Just two weeks ago, the young Aussie was in the hunt at the World Golf Championships-CA Championship, eventually tying for ninth after a 72 in the rain-delayed final round.
He also tied for 14th in his 2008 TOUR debut at the Northern Trust Open and lost on the 19th hole of his second round match with Woody Austin at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.
As he returns to defend his title at Redstone, Scott should have quite a comfort zone. He closed with a 66 to make up a three-stroke deficit and eventually beat Stuart Appleby by the same margin. He also survived a water-logged tee shot on the 18th hole and sank a 50-footer to save par there.
Scott welcomed the intensity of the competition -- particularly the week before a major championship like the Masters. He's hoping for more of the same this week at Redstone. Scott also got in a practice round at Augusta National with Harmon, Fred Couples and Nick Watney during the week of the CA Championship.
"Playing at Augusta with Freddie is such a great experience," Scott said. "You watch that guy hit it on automatic pilot on the front nine ... he just knew exactly where to hit every shot. Even the ones that didn't look great finished right under the hole in a good spot. You know, he knows what he's doing around there.
"So that was good for me and Nick to go and see that."
Scott is a big-hitter off the tee and also is steady with his irons. Should his short game cooperate, he knows he could be a factor at Augusta National next week.
"I think my game fits it extremely well," Scott said. "You have to have a really good ball-striking week now to do well, as well as your short game being really sharp. It's just such a demanding course with the length that they have added there, and tightening it up with trees and rough.
"So you know, I feel very comfortable out there. If I can drive it well, put it in the fairway, I give myself a lot of chances."
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