Adam Scott – file image Australian Golf Media
With just two weeks to go before finalisation of the US Open field, Adam Scott knows that to play the event for the 23rd consecutive occasion he needs to work his way back from outside the top 60 in the world ranking by June 10th.
He is also chasing a start in what would be his 92nd consecutive major championship if he is able to do so, a simply phenomenal record.
There are two other possibilities for the 43 year old, namely the Final Qualifying on June 3rd or relying on the generosity of the USGA to offer an exemption due to his standing in the game.
Scott now has three events remaining before the cut-off date to try and work his way back into the top 60, starting at this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, next week’s Canadian Open or the Memorial Tournament in Ohio ending on June 9th should he get an invite to that Signature event.
Scott has won at the Colonial Country Club previously when successful in 2014 following a brilliant weekend, but not having played there since 2018 he is no doubt in the event to assist his chances of playing at Pinehurst beginning June 13th.
“I can’t believe it’s been since 2018,” said Scott at his pre-event media conference this week. “But a new golf course this year, refreshed, maybe, is a better word than new, but a great golf course, a great venue on TOUR.
“With the improvement to the course I was very keen to come back, and it fit into the schedule nicely, which has been challenging it seems for me since 2018, but that’s how it sometimes goes. Hopefully, some of those great memories of 2014 come flooding back and inspire some good golf out of me this week.
“It was a great time in my career. I had just moved to world No. 1 the week prior and I hadn’t planned on playing the event, but I was world No. 1 by the smallest of margins and I felt like if I didn’t play I could lose the position.
“I thought, well, it’s been a long journey to get to world No. 1, it would be really fun to play as the world No. 1. So I decided to enter fairly last minute, and actually came in and got off to a pretty bad start that week, I shot 4-over my first nine and ended up winning the tournament. So, it was a great week to play as world No. 1 and I managed to hang on to that spot, at least that week anyway.”
Scott has had a solid year but has hardly set the world on fire and was frustrated when missing the cut at the PGA Championship last week.
“I had a disappointing last week. The state of my game had been pretty solid all around, but I struggled on the greens last week and I have struggled on the greens the two previous weeks before that.
“So that’s really held me back. I think my game is in better shape than results are showing. I know pretty much everyone who is not in the top 10 in the world is probably saying that, but that’s how I feel. A little like I opened with, I hope that some good karma from this golf course kind of inspires a few better things for me on the golf course this week.”
Scott has won all four of the regular tour events in Texas and suggested the similarities to Australian conditions might well be one of the reasons.
I’ve always felt that the state of Texas is most like Australia generally, from the trees to the golf courses are similar in a lot of ways. I think there’s always been a level of comfort and I have enjoyed success on the golf course here. It also makes it a great week every time I come back to play in Texas.”
Scott was asked about his role on the PGA Tour Policy Board and whether that had been any sort of distraction and a comparison was made with Rory McIlroy having been impacted by his time in the politics of the game.
“Maybe I need to struggle a little more like Rory on the golf course. I would like to struggle like he does. (Laughing). If it’s affecting his play, it’s hard to see. He’s played incredibly for a long, long time. Maybe he thought it held him back from some success.
“I don’t know, I think we are probably at different stages of our careers and I don’t think it has any impact on my play at all. I’m fully aware of where I need to put my time and at this point I have a little bit of time for being on the PGA TOUR board and I still think I have enough time to work on my game and other things in my life as well.
“So, but I understand everyone, if you asked me 10 years ago I probably wouldn’t have been willing to give that time at that point, and so I can understand maybe Rory found that challenging.”
