Adam Scott ready for Australian campaign after 5th place in Bermuda
Adam Scott file photo – JGTO
Adam Scott will head to Australia this week with his game in good shape ahead of an attempt to win a third Australian PGA Championship and a second Australian Open later this month and in early December.
Scott’s share of 5th place behind the Colombian Camilo Villegas at this week’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship in Southampton in Bermuda suggests he is ready to tackle the PGA Tour of Australasia and DP World Tour events in Brisbane and Sydney.
Scott won his two previous Australian PGA Championships at RACV Royal Pines on the Gold Coast and his one Australian Open to date at the NSW Golf Club in 2009 and he was keen to play this week to have his game in shape to play in his homeland.
“Well, it was really one of the reasons for coming to play was to kind of make sure I’m not rusty when I play at home,” said Scott after his final round today.
“I want to play well down there. I want to play well every week, but if I didn’t play great this week, I would have known what to do when I got there and not just guessing. But I really like where things are at.
“There’s a lot of good stuff to take out of my game this week and if I play in similar style down there, hopefully I can end up on top.”
Scott and the golfing world generally rejoiced in the return to the winner’s circle of Villegas, a player who has been good enough to win five PGA Tour events including the Tour and BMW Championships in 2008, and, who reached as high as number 7 in the world ranking.
Scott was asked today about some assistance he had given Villegas with his putting.
“Yeah, we kind of did a little scouting trip to Quail Hollow after the TOUR Championship last year before the Presidents Cup (where Villegas was an assistant captain) and there you get to really hang with the guys with very little commitment.
“Camilo and I were talking about his golf and putting and I kind of — I think I introduced him to the LAB putter at that point. I at least gave him the contact of Sam at LAB. He’s been putting great with it.
“He’s obviously very comfortable. In the last couple weeks has been incredible, so I’m stoked for Camilo. He’s such a positive guy. To see him playing well again is nice for an old mate.
Not only did Villegas win this week for the first time since 2014 but he last week finished runner-up after missing seven of his previous nine cuts suggesting a return to his glory days, made even more significant after the devastating loss of his young daughter Mia at the age of 2 to brain cancer.
“Tough to put in words right now, but wow, what a ride, man,” said an emotional Villegas.
“You know what, I love this game. This game has given me so many great things, but in the process it kicks your butt. Life has given me so many great things and in the process it kicks my butt, too. My little one up there watching.
“The support has been unbelievable, I mean, at every angle. The amount of text messages I got last week, I must have got 500 text messages, I didn’t even win the golf tournament. I felt the energy.
“You know what, it kept building up. Everybody here on the island was great, they were just rooting me on. Got to believe in energy, man. Like I said, I’ve got my little one up there watching it, smiling. She’s where she needs to be after a long fight. To everybody, just I want to say thanks, it’s been a fun week.”
Villegas was quick to thank Adam Scott for some assistance he had given him with his putting.
“Yeah, I guess I’ve got to thank Adam in a way because you’re right, we did a little trip to Quail Hollow before the Presidents Cup and I was watching Adam putt with a broom. He kept rolling it so good and he kept telling me how confident he was feeling.
“At one point I’m like, OK, man, let me try it. I started trying the broom, which I didn’t think I
was going to go to the broom, but we started talking about the technology behind the putter.
“I have always been a Scotty Cameron guy, which I love, respect and thank him for all the
support over the years, but then came this LAB putter and it felt good. It felt good right away.
I tried different versions of it, different lengths, different grips, different shaft leans on it and
then finally I came with one that feels very comfortable.”
