Category: Team Australia

Categories
Team Australia

PGA Tour: 2004 Players Champion Adam Scott Addresses Media Prior to Making 19th Start at Event

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 11: Adam Scott of Australia looks on during a practice round prior to The PLAYERS Championship on The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 11, 2020 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

2004 Players Championship winner Adam Scott speaks with the media prior to making his 19th consecutive start at the event about how his game has changed as he ages.

PGA Tour: Adam Scott previews 19th start at the 2020 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass

SHARON SHIN: We would like to welcome Adam Scott, the 2004 PLAYERS champion. You’re making your 19th consecutive start at this event. How does it feel to be back?

ADAM SCOTT: Well, I love coming here. It’s like I talk about every year, it’s where my career really got going, I guess all those years ago and it’s been fun coming back ever since. I feel like I’ve really been welcomed here in this community and supported really well on the golf course. I played some good rounds over the years here and enjoyed some good results, however, not winning a second one, this year again that’s my goal going out there and I feel like my game is ready for that challenge this week.

SHARON SHIN: And already a win under your belt this season with a victory at the Genesis Invitational. How is your game feeling entering this week?

ADAM SCOTT: It’s good, even though that I missed the cut last week, I had a bit of a bad front nine at Arnold Palmer, which is disappointing. However, the silver lining may be that I didn’t have to deal with that golf course over the weekend, which looked quite brutal and my mind is in a good place because of that. But I feel very comfortable with where my game’s at. I think the lesson learned out of last week was I need to just make sure I’m prepared teeing off tomorrow and not have that kind of slow start to take away from the level where my game is and put myself back in with a chance to win a big tournament this week.

SHARON SHIN: We’ll open it up for questions.

Q. We have got a question from a fan in China. How do you adjust yourself to the pressure in competition and take your championship experience back in 2014 as an example?
ADAM SCOTT: I think everything comes from preparation and if you prepare properly then eventually with some experience you understand how you respond to pressure situations, and whether it’s teeing off on Thursday of a tournament or coming down the stretch to win a tournament. But I find myself, and I’ve also heard from a lot of other athletes that they get all their confidence out of their of their preparation; all the work needs to be done before you’re meant to perform.

Q. Do you change the game plan much going into this tournament as opposed to another tournament, especially because of the Pete Dye golf course?
ADAM SCOTT: It’s very much the condition of the course dependent. Which we have seen over the years, if it plays soft this course can be quite good around here. But if it firms up it gets a little treacherous and can play really like the other Florida tournaments can. So at the moment it’s a little soft, and although it firmed up a little bit today, it looks like you’re going to have to show a little bit of patience out there this week. The greens just got a little firmer today and the rough is significant enough to not make it easy to hit greens out of the rough and balls can roll through and the speeds of the greens make chipping difficult. So ball striking this week will certainly help. It’s playing a little longer than we have seen in May, as well, with the softness of the fairways. So it really turned into a wedge golf course. I felt like as I got used to it in May, and it was because of this tournament that I ended up putting four wedges in my golf bag for the first time, I don’t know, three or four years ago. But I think there’s a bit less of that this year, even with drivers off tees, the ball is, for me, not getting down to that kind of wedge area and I’ve hit a lot more 9-, 8-, 7-, 6-, 5-irons into greens than I can remember for the last 10 years.

The Players Championship Full Leaderboard

Q. There’s a lot of trees on this golf course, of all the places where you face a shot with a tree or trees, which one grabs your attention the most?
ADAM SCOTT: Well, I think the second hole, the trees up the left of the second are pretty much right where you want to flight the ball, you want to hug that left side and the trees are in the way so you have to go around. There have been a few, the one on No. 6 is gone now, that used to overhang the tee box. I never really thought I could hit it into it but you never know. It was getting a bit lower the last few years.

Q. David Duval and Justin Leonard were talking about the strategy of Pete Dye’s design around this course and Justin was talking about the 16th hole as an example where you need to draw off the tee and then hit a fade for your second shot. Do you think the move back from May to March enhances the need to play it strategically versus just blast over the trouble?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I think it will work out that way because the ball just doesn’t seem to be running like it was in May. Drives are really not running at all. Therefore, some of the holes like 14 off the tee and 16 off the tee, the ball doesn’t run down near any of the trouble, but it’s leaving us much longer second shots, which is more difficult. I think it is a course of strategy because everyone kind of plays to similar spots. I don’t think you can overpower the course, however — and I don’t think you can play out of the rough all week and do well. But now I don’t think you can really overpower this golf course. It would be difficult to drive it in those spots now.

So I think it is a good strategic golf course, I really do. I think that’s why we don’t see repeat winners and it’s really open to whoever can play well. I don’t think it favors long hitters, I don’t think it favors just a short game, I think it tests all areas of the game.

Q. Post your Genesis win, do you still keep the same clubs in the bag? Have you changed anything since that win at Riviera?
ADAM SCOTT: I haven’t, no.

Q. And if not, is there a sentimental reason for that or is it sort of like the fact that you’ve got the winning clubs in the bag or is it just you’re not a sort of club changer?
ADAM SCOTT: I generally am not a club changer. I try and stick with what’s working as long as I can. There’s so many changes all the time; if you can not change something it’s quite good to not have to factor in anything else.

Q. It seems like there’s an interesting competition going on on TOUR at the moment between the younger guys winning, you guys winning, the more experienced guys, and would you say it’s one of the most interesting times during your career to compete on the PGA TOUR at the moment?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I guess so. I mean for me anyway it’s an interesting time for me to compete. I feel like I have a great opportunity at the moment to achieve some of the things that I have set out to do. Coming off the back of not necessarily last year but the year before not playing as well as I hoped when these opportunities present themselves you want to take advantage of them. So I’m excited for that. I think I’m not really trying to prove that I can beat any of the young guys, but I think some of the old guys still have it out here (Laughing.)

Q. How would you say your game’s evolved at 39 compared to in your 20s? Do you play — what was your ratio to power to precision then and has that ratio changed?
ADAM SCOTT: I think — sorry, I just don’t know exactly how to answer. I think I’m a better player now. I think everyone’s become better. I think the power is easier to achieve now. I think the precision is more difficult to achieve now. I don’t know that I can say I was more precise back then, but in the overall balance maybe I was. But I was hitting it probably a little shorter too. Which would make sense that I’m more accurate hitting it shorter.

Q. Has there been any changes since you are older in terms of physical capabilities or have you adjusted in that regard or are you just as capable?
ADAM SCOTT: I think I’m just as capable physically, I mean, I’ve been fairly fortunate, I haven’t really had injury setbacks or anything bothering me from playing golf and I’ve always been conscious of keeping my body in a good spot and I’ve worked with good people on that. So I feel physically I’m very capable of playing top-level golf right now.

Q. Your swing has long been a model for juniors and anyone, really. I’m wondering, with the plethora of information available now in terms of TrackMan and all these biomechanics and plate things, how much do you use that stuff or are you more of a, do you prefer to just kind of go on feel, do you watch your swing on video, just curious about your process.
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I use TrackMan infrequently. I don’t use it much at all. I don’t know the last time I used it. And I got in the habit of watching my swing on video, which isn’t good because even though it the swing can be good you can nitpick every swing, I mean the perfect swing pretty much doesn’t exist. And even when I’m swinging good I could see something and try and then go and work on it. So basically I haven’t seen my swing this year at all and so a lot of it is based off feel. I trust my coach that he’s telling me the swing is looking in a good spot and he then, I just find my own feels to play golf and that keeps the freedom and kind of the natural talent I have for playing as open as possible to come out on the course and that’s kind of my process. There are times to reference off TrackMan and all the other information, but at this point I don’t think there’s many secrets I’m going to find from it. I know my game fairly well and I’m fairly honest with myself about how the ball flight is.

Q. You mentioned about your goals for this year. Can you share a little bit more about that and what of the next three majors would you most want to add to your resume?
ADAM SCOTT: Winning tournaments is always my goal and of course we put a huge focus on the majors. And then I think we all have other specific tournaments we really like. For example, this one, it’s a big event and this is my main focus right now. Of course I would love to win any of the other majors later this year. My goal is to keep my game in a spot where that’s realistic. But I’ve got off to a good start by winning the Genesis a few weeks back and I would like to add to that. Now I’m in this position where I’ve won again I would like to get myself back quickly in that position and see if I can add to that tally this year.

SHARON SHIN: Adam, do you have time for a couple more?

ADAM SCOTT: No, I’m sorry, my table is ready at Chili’s.

March 11, 2020

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Categories
Team Australia

PGA Tour: Marc Leishman Recaps Slow Start and Near Comeback at The Arnold palmer Invitational

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - MARCH 08: Marc Leishman of Australia plays his shot from the eighth tee during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 08, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional Marc Leishman addresses the media following a slow start but big weekend charge to come up just 1 stroke short behind champion Tyrell Hatton.

PGA Tour: Marc Leishman speaks with the media following final round of 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational and runner-up finish

Q. It was a little tough start but you battled. You gave yourself a chance coming down the end. Just not quite enough. But it had to be tough out there today.
MARC LEISHMAN: It was tough again. It wasn’t the start I was after today and I fought really hard. Made some — well, I birdied the par-5s on the back nine and that’s what you got to do around here. So, yeah, a little bit disappointed, but it was a strong week. Signs are good for next week. Tyrell played good, did what he needed to do and on a really, really tough golf course. So it was a fun week.

Q. You move both into the top 10 in FedExCup points and the Wyndham rewards, continuing good solid play this season, you’re playing awfully well. You’ve got to feel good about that.
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, I think I got a 1st, 2nd, and a 3rd, now, so try to add to that win column. It’s been a good start to the year. Obviously, the win at Torrey Pines was good and to be in the top 10 this early in year is nice. It’s nice not having to play catchup. So hoping I can have a big week next week and get back into the winner’s circle.

Q. You weren’t giving up. You came back pretty hard.
MARC LEISHMAN: No, I never give up. I said to Matty — we were walking down 16, I said, Of all the courses on the PGA TOUR, this is the last one you’d pick if you had a two-shot lead your three to go. So Tyrell never gave up. He did what he needed to do there at the end. Great par on 18 particularly. That’s a brutal hole, tough pin placement, you have to really hold your shot. So yeah, made it interesting. Would have been nice if that putt would have dropped on 17. I felt pretty good when I hit it. Not to be. But happy with the week. With really tough conditions, I played probably as good as I played for quite awhile. So and it was good to play well under pressure there too at the end. So, yeah, happy with the week and all credit to Tyrell.

2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational Leaderboard

Q. What do you lean towards more at the moment, the disappointment or sort of excited that you played so well with such a big window coming up?
MARC LEISHMAN: I think both. Obviously anytime you have a chance to win you want to pull it off and win. You don’t get too many chances. So, yes, I’m disappointed, but I’m just happy that I — I’m happy I played well. It felt like a U.S. Open out there. Fast greens, long rough, narrow fairways, and big crowd, big vocal crowds. So it was a lot of fun. Obviously, I would have liked to have won but that was a fun day, a fun week.

Q. How much do you relish this sort of challenge as opposed to weeks when it’s 18- or 20-under par trying to win?
MARC LEISHMAN: I enjoy both, but this, I just love the — I love when you, if you shoot par it’s a good score. But it’s also fun shooting real low numbers. So I enjoy all sorts of golf, but this is a really big mental test. And going into the PLAYERS next week in a good place mentally and with the major season coming up as well. Yeah, so good signs. Going to take some positives out of this. Happy to put four pretty good rounds together and try and do the same thing at PLAYERS next week.

Q. (Question about playing Sawgrass.)
MARC LEISHMAN: Not really, to be honest. I think I missed the last few cuts there. I think I’m due for a good week there. That’s why I’m going there. But my game’s in a good spot. I feel great with the putter. Hoping next week can be my week there. I only had one top 10 there in 10 or 11 events. So it hasn’t a happy hunting ground for me, but we’ll try and change that.

Orlando, Florida

March 8, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Categories
Team Australia

PGA Tour: Adam Scott Speaks With The Media Prior To Making 11th Start at The Arnold Palmer Invitational

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - MARCH 04: Adam Scott of Australia plays a shot during the pro-am round prior to the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 04, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional and speaks with the media about his past history at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, current state of his game and Master’s preparations.

PGA Tour: Adam Scott Addresses media prior to start of 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational

OHN BUSH: We would like to welcome Adam Scott to the interview room here at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. Making his 11th start. Adam, a couple third place finishes here. Just talk a little bit about Bay Hill and this tournament and what it means to you.

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I’ve come here on and off throughout the years, but it’s a course I’ve really learned to love, I guess, the last 10 years or so for me. I feel like I’ve played a lot of good golf here. I’m confident around this golf course. Unfortunately, I’ve never really put four solid days together in one go. So that’s my goal this week. It’s a special place, obviously, with the Arnold Palmer connection. It’s very strong. You can see that with everything going on here, but also through all the players. Here’s a guy who meant so much to the game of golf. To win an invitational-style event connected to Arnold Palmer would be really quite satisfying, I guess, for me in my career. I would rank it fairly highly.

JOHN BUSH: Speaking of good golf, you’re in really good form right now. 14th official TOUR win at the Genesis Invitational. Just talk a little bit about the state of your game.

2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational Leaderboard

ADAM SCOTT: My game feels really good, actually. I like where it is after today. I feel like it’s still moving in the right direction after Genesis. Mexico was not my best performance. I’m pretty much thinking I’m one of the worst altitude players on the TOUR after that. I really don’t get very comfortable at altitude. But I feel good about where the game is moving on from Mexico back to a bit closer to sea level here and feeling very confident. I like the way the course is set up this week. I believe it’s going to be windy and hopefully my ball striking can get me a little bit of an advantage in these kind of conditions.

JOHN BUSH: Open it up with questions.

Q. You share the course record here with Greg Norman. You got guys like Marc Leishman and Jason Day have won. What is it about Australian golfers that seem to thrive on this golf course?
ADAM SCOTT: I don’t know, really. There isn’t anything particularly similar or that different than home, really. It’s just, I think there’s, with the connection to Arnold Palmer there’s extra motivation for everyone to do well here. I think that was the case in Greg Norman’s day when he was playing here as well. It’s neat to have the course record here. I remember the round well. I don’t know if that’s going to be possible to attack this week. The greens are pretty firm out there and the wind’s going to blow, so breaking par would be more kind of my scoring goals this week.

Q. And just to follow it up, what are your first, what are your thoughts on the first two days? What do you need to sort of do to get yourself in position for the week and is it a matter of surviving the first two rounds and maybe posting something under par?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, it might be good to be out Thursday morning potentially, given the weather. And if I can take advantage of that and have a solid score, it can set me up for a good week. But no matter what, even if that is the way it goes, there’s going to be some survival going on. By the looks, it’s going to blow pretty strong and out of a difficult direction for this golf course. A lot of the holes that are flanked by water, the wind is going to be coming off the water, so you’re going to have to start it over the trouble, essentially, and the ball striking will have to shine through a little bit.

Q. You talked about the state of your game is very good and you’re pleased with it, but what does it do for your game going into the Majors when you win early in the season like you did?
ADAM SCOTT: In some ways it takes the pressure off, from the sense you don’t have to talk yourself into being confident. You can actually be confident because of a result. And then you must manage your own expectation after that. So hopefully, given that I have got a bit of experience, I can do that well from this point on. But I’m really enjoying the way my form is going, so I’m excited to play again this week and get myself back in that kind of position I was at in Genesis. That’s really my, the challenge to myself for the next three days out here is put myself in the winning position Sunday again. And I think my game is definitely still there and the confidence is still riding high, so I’ll try and take advantage of that while I’ve got it.

Q. How does this tournament, tournaments like this help you prepare for the Masters?
ADAM SCOTT: Well, it’s a very important part of the preparation because it’s so close. So it’s very hard not to think about the Masters. Of course, we have the PLAYERS championship next week. But this golf course, the way it is this week with the rough is up a little bit and the greens are firm, it’s — and the wind is predicted, it’s going to be testing everyone’s patience, very demanding golf course, which is what major championships do. They really penalize bad shots and this course will do that often because of the water. There’s really no escape from water. So it will be good to kind of get a, get your emotions under control and be able to use that to your advantage maybe at the Masters in a few weeks.

Q. At Riviera you seemed quite positive about the Premier League concept and what it could offer. Obviously since then, Rory’s come out and been very outspoken. There’s been a lot of other chat about it. Has your sentiment changed in any way or been endorsed or what do you think now, a few weeks on?
ADAM SCOTT: I’m still very positive about the concept of what it could be, for sure. It doesn’t mean I think it’s going to happen, necessarily. Everyone sees it from somewhat of their own agenda. Being an international player, I mean, the thought of a world TOUR sounds really great. Maybe less so for someone based in Florida who doesn’t have to necessarily travel as much. But it’s what I’m used to. So, yeah, I don’t think my sentiment on the concept has changed at all. I still think it’s fantastic.

Q. Talking about the Masters, how has your preparation changed over the years? When do you start thinking about getting ready for Augusta now, versus maybe 10 years ago?
ADAM SCOTT: I think it’s changed a little bit, to be perfectly honest, because TPC is back in before it and I regard that tournament very highly. So really, I’m trying to get myself in great shape for that. And if I can do that, it’s like a small step to getting ready for Augusta. So until last year the focus on Augusta was kind of starting from Riviera. And at the moment I’m trying to put that out of my head and think about TPC as much as anything and get myself ready to have a really good run there. I mean, for me, it’s a tournament I would love to win again. I think it would go a long way in kind of getting me satisfied with what I’ve achieved in my career. If I could win the TPC twice, that would be amazing. Then it’s a quick shift now then to Augusta. We have got a little bit of time. But I think between what I see here this week and TPC next week, you should have a good idea of where your game’s at and what you need to do to be ready to play the Masters.

Q. Were you still at Augusta last year when Tiger finished? And if so, did you watch it on TV? Did you — what was your, what was sort of your reaction to the reaction?
ADAM SCOTT: Well, just as I was finishing my round you got a sense, as he was kind of taking the lead on the back nine, that something special could be happening. There’s always an electricity in the air at Augusta on a Sunday, but then when Tiger or certain people are in the mix there’s something more. After I finished out and I stayed and watched, there was a lot of guys watching in the champion’s locker room and I stayed and watched. You don’t often get that group of people together very often. All of us definitely cheering hard for Tiger to win. And you just had that sense it’s a significant moment in the sport again. But seeing Tiger’s reaction was great because it felt like a significant moment for a guy who is achieved everything and more in golf and you could see in his reaction to the win how special it was. So that was — it was great as a golf fan to watch that.

Q. How do you think Tiger’s decision to go without a coach and kind of go it on his own the last few years helped him get back in the winner’s circle and win another major?
ADAM SCOTT: How do I think it helped him?

Q. Yeah.
ADAM SCOTT: I really don’t know how to answer. Maybe it just uncomplicated things for him, really. I mean, we all do our best to complicate the game a bit too much and maybe when you’re as talented and as accomplished as Tiger, your gut instinct must be pretty good for what you need to do, so maybe he did that. I don’t know. That’s a guess (Laughing.)

Q. This and Riviera are two of the strongest fields of the year thus far that don’t have built-in fields, for example. What is the difference between something like this, something like the Memorial and Riviera, compared with a WGC?
ADAM SCOTT: A few faces in the draw? I don’t know.

Q. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
ADAM SCOTT: Well, I think it’s a good thing that these events are strong, these invitational events. They should mean something. And I think that was the idea with the World Golf Championships. But they have certainly changed over the 20 years that they have been around and gone in a, gone in whatever direction they have gone in, not quite necessarily — I guess they get the best players from all around the world together, but there’s been some levels of compromise, I guess, with them on locations and venues and timings and all these kind of things, and even the Match Play has been moved around and gets fields, it doesn’t get fields, but that’s most tournaments. Even though this is a very, very strong event there are a couple guys not playing. Most do. I think a lot of that is out of the respect for Arnold Palmer, of course. The venue at Riviera and Tiger’s involvement also commands a strong field. So I think they sit up in that similar kind of level, given the fact they are pulling strong fields.

Q. But you’ve missed some WGC’s over the years based on your own scheduling preferences. Was there a time early days where it was thought that these are ones you just don’t miss?
ADAM SCOTT: Absolutely, yeah. They have gone along, they have, I guess when they — there are many factors that are different than 20 years ago when they started. The PGA TOUR had far less international events 20 years ago, they have a lot more now. It was much harder to get the world’s top players together. Most of the world’s top players play on the PGA TOUR as a PGA TOUR member now. They were significantly more money. Now everything is a lot of money. I don’t think they are doing the same as what they did 15 or 20 years ago, that’s for sure.

Q. When on his game who is the just toughest guy out here to match shot for shot and keep up with?
ADAM SCOTT: To pick one guy?

Q. Yeah. One.
ADAM SCOTT: Well, Tiger then (Laughing) on his game. I mean, his record speaks for itself. I mean, I love Rory’s game and I love Dustin’s game as well. I think on their day those guys would be very, very difficult to beat when, if they’re on their game.

JOHN BUSH: All right. Adam Scott, thank you, sir. Appreciate it.

ADAM SCOTT: Thank you.

Orlando, Florida

March 4, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Categories
Team Australia

PGA Tour: Adam Scott Recaps Last Week’s Victory and Previews 2020 WGC Mexico Championship

PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 16: Adam Scott of Australia holds the trophy following the final round of the Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country Club on February 16, 2020 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)

PGA Tour: Adam Scott revisits last week’s victory at the 2020 Genesis Invitational and gives a look ahead to this week’s WGC Mexico Championship.

PGA Tour: Adam Scott speaks with the media ahead of 2020 WGC Mexico Championship

MARK WILLIAMS: We’d like to welcome Adam Scott into the interview room here at the WGC Mexico Championship. Adam, thanks for coming in. Congratulations again on your win on Sunday at the Genesis Invitational.

If you can just talk about coming back here. You haven’t played here since 2017. And also I understand you’ve added the WGC Match Play to your schedule. If you could just talk about adding those two tournaments to your schedule and coming back here to Mexico.

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, sure. You know, I talked about it last week, I’ve had a fairly long — not that long a break, but I’m starting a lot later than most this year, and you’re never quite sure how you’re going to play the first week out, and okay, it worked out really well for me. But putting this back in this week got me out here against the best in the world, and also it’s going to get me four rounds in golf in early in the season, just in case it didn’t go well last week.

For the last couple years, I’ve put World Golf Championships in and out of the schedule a little bit, trying to find what’s working for me, but I think as I’ve started playing better and better last year, to be the best player out here, you’ve got to play against the best, and that means coming to these events. It was pretty easy to put this back in and also the Match Play back on the schedule for this year and at least give myself an idea of where my game is sitting against the best players in the world a little more often.

MARK WILLIAMS: Before last week’s victory, your previous victories on the TOUR were back-to-back efforts in 2016 kind of around this time of the year. What will we see from you to try and recreate that again this week with another victory?

ADAM SCOTT: My game is obviously in good shape. I think the challenge for everyone coming here this week is just dealing with the altitude, mostly with how far the ball is going to go and who can manage that the best. It’s very difficult even with just a couple days of practice and playing the golf course to really dial that in completely. Certainly when you’re trying to hit maybe a knock-down shot — it’s going to be a bit tricky and you’re going to have to accept a few mystery balls, I think, this week.

2020 WGC Mexico Championship Tee Times

But overall, a bit like I felt last week, if there’s enough good stuff in there, I think my game can hold up to that.

Q. Was the decision to take the events off leading up to maybe LA and add these events, was that kind of the same choice, that you wanted some time off after the end of last season and it just made sense to add Match Play and Mexico, whatever the case may be?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I needed to get going somewhere. The events I did play at the back end of last season, I didn’t get a lot of FedExCup points. I was going to come out chasing no matter where I came out, and it was simply — looking at the schedule, I liked the way it looked. Riviera I like, and I was hopeful to play well there, and then coming here I was going to hopefully give myself eight competitive rounds right out of the gate and give me something to go home with a week off and work on what I need to work on and come back and play Bay Hill and THE PLAYERS, which are two courses I love playing, also. Then you’re really right into Masters preparation off the back of THE PLAYERS. I thought the Match Play has never been the first one on my schedule, but it’s another opportunity for just me to see at least three competitive rounds of golf, where I’m at, what I need to work on, keep me competitively pretty fresh with a week off before the Masters. It seemed like a fairly logical schedule based off the break.

Q. When you first kind of moved into the elite, if you will, back in about ’04, ’05, whatever, you’ve had a couple times where you’ve dipped pretty far out of the World Ranking into the 75, 80 range, and both times worked your way back into the top 10. What do you think looking back caused those dips, and which one was harder or more satisfying to get back to?
ADAM SCOTT: I guess my perspective on it now is that the standards are pretty high. If you dip down to 75 or 80 in the world, it’s because of guys like Tiger, who set the top level so high and guys like Phil Mickelson, who have stayed in the top 50 in the world for 50 years or something like that (laughing) that make all of us look pretty average after that.

The game of golf is very difficult at times. I remember in ’09 struggling — I really think I played poorly in ’09. I was really just playing very poor, and I got myself into a funk, and the confidence goes, and it’s not easy to get that back. There’s a bit of a process to that.

Getting out of that one was quite good because I felt like it was the first time I’d ever really struggled, and I could almost say a bit panicky, I’m sure, of really what to do, and a few things fell into place eventually at the end of ’09, and I kind of got myself out of that.

Then the last couple years I think — you know, again, it’s a few things that catch up with you. A lot changed in my life from when I was winning the Masters until the middle of 2018 where I’m qualifying for the U.S. Open and trying to balance how to be a high-level golfer with a lot of other responsibilities I found challenging. I think it was more with the second kid coming along that really got my head spinning a bit. There was no way to get — well, there’s another one. But I have incredible support from my wife and my family, but we also must remember that you’re trying to play the sport at the highest level, and there’s no excuses, and there’s a lot of sacrifices to make. It just took me a little while to find the right balance between the way I used to do it and the way I needed to do it now so that there was like some kind of peace in my whole world.

I don’t think that’s anything amazing. I think everyone deals with it in some way or another.

Q. How is it mentally-wise and confidence-wise putting up this win and reassuring the good game you have been playing throughout 2019?
ADAM SCOTT: It’s very satisfying. I think any time you win it’s incredibly good for your confidence. I felt that at the end of last year. I won the Australian PGA in December, and even in a funny way today, just hitting a few balls on the range, I felt more confident today than I did even hitting balls on the range Sunday in Riviera.

It just gives you that little bit more self-belief in all the things that you need to do, and even the way I struck the ball today I think showed that there was a lot of confidence and self-belief standing over the ball to swing the club.

It’s funny, it’s kind of immeasurable, and it’s hard to fake what that win can give to you. Sometimes you can, but it does mean a lot. Certainly for me, I’ve always kind of based my success of my career on winning tournaments.

Q. It’s hard to believe that in 2019 not one Aussie won on the PGA TOUR and now three in seven events so far. Talking to Leish and Cam, they said that a lot of that was — well, some of that at least is motivation from what happened at Royal Melbourne. How big of an inspiration was that to this whole formula of the Aussies winning again?
ADAM SCOTT: I think that event really meant something to the Aussies at Royal Melbourne. I think it meant a lot to the other players on the international team, too. Guys, if it was their first taste of a Presidents Cup, it was a pretty good one. It was a tough defeat to take.

But they got a really nice introduction to what that competition can be.

And as far as the Aussies, it was a special week for us down there. We certainly felt like we were playing at home, and I felt that straightaway, and I was very keen to play well the week after at the PGA in Australia, and then really last week I had a lot of motivation going in. I had watched Cam win in Hawai’i while I was sitting on the couch and Leish winning in Torrey, and that was about the time when I was feeling like, okay, I need to get back out there and try and put my name on a trophy.

Those things happen. You know, the Aussies are all pretty close, and a little success from one can push us all a long way.

Q. Was there a conversation amongst you and the Aussies to maybe help motivate each other heading into the rest of the year?
ADAM SCOTT: At the Presidents Cup you mean?

Q. Yes, sorry.
ADAM SCOTT: I think there was some great conversations amongst our team. I don’t know why just the Aussies might have won. Maybe the others are all going to now. But I think everyone was very motivated to continue playing at a high level to make the next team. That was really more what I got out of it, and I say that, which might sound surprising, but I don’t always get that feeling out of the back of Presidents Cups. We’ve had some pretty rough beatings, not really leaving with our heads held high sometimes, and this time we did, and I think everyone who was on that team would like to have another go next time, and they’re pretty determined to play well to get on that next team.

Q. The issue in Mexico, it’s always the altitude. It’s what all you guys talk about. What about the air pressure? They also said that the backspin in Mexico is really hard because of the thinness of the air pressure. How do you handle and deal with these things?
ADAM SCOTT: I think you’re definitely better off asking Bryson DeChambeau about the air pressure. I really do not know how to answer that question. (Laughter.) I’m really sorry I can’t help.

I think you can spin the ball a lot on this type of green. We’re used to that. But as far as air pressure, I really don’t know anything about air pressure here in Mexico, I’m sorry.

Q. But it’s harder to give the backspin to follow it?
ADAM SCOTT: Maybe it is because that’s why the ball is going more. Maybe that makes sense. There’s less resistance on the ball. That’s why it’s flying further. Maybe it spins less. You should ask Bryson, though. (Laughter.) I’m sorry.

Q. I’m sorry if you were asked this last week, but what was your reaction when you heard the news that Ernie wasn’t going to captain again, and is there any part of you after what he did that he would reconsider and maybe consider doing it one more time?
ADAM SCOTT: I think when I first heard, he told me straightaway after the Cup. I was a little bit surprised but only because captains have captained a few times in the past.

But I think he put so much into it, and I really respect the fact that he said I gave it everything I had and he came up short and he shouldn’t get a second chance, he should pass it on and let someone else do it, and I really like that attitude, actually. I think that’s a nice attitude for me to take playing to the course; I get one shot at this tournament this week, and I don’t get another go and I should make it count. That’s kind of what he was saying, and that was one of many really important messages he left with our team that week for the future.

Q. Did you have a chance to speak with Abraham Ancer about Mexico in general and maybe about this tournament?
ADAM SCOTT: Not particularly. We spent most of the time talking about his tequila actually. I’m sure he’ll be happy to tell you all about it. I look forward — I’m still waiting for a bottle. That’s the only thing. I keep bringing it up every time, but no tequila bottle.

But I’ve enjoyed talking with Abe anyway over the last 18 months. He’s been fantastic. He was fantastic in Melbourne on the Presidents Cup. He’s fantastic for golf in Mexico, and very enjoyable guy to be around. He’s a really nice guy.

Q. I wonder if you could paint a picture for us. First you admitted last week that you watch golf on television, which was mildly shocking. When you’re watching Leish and when you’re watching Cameron, where are you, at home on the couch? Where are the kids? Are they watching with you? Do you need to have quiet time for this?
ADAM SCOTT: No, that’s when they’re having a nap. I was in Australia, so somehow — we were in Hawai’i when Cam was winning. My boy was still having his nap in the middle of the day, so that worked. I got an hour’s golf in that day.

I mean, I don’t watch every minute of every telecast, but certainly if Cam is winning or Leish or one of my close mates out here, I’m going to tune in and see what’s happening.

Q. The Masters, unless I’ve done my math incorrectly, to play your 75th consecutive major, does that mean anything to you?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, it does. That’s why I tried so hard to qualify for the U.S. Open. I mean, I don’t know why. You don’t get anything for how many consecutive majors you play in. But I know Sergio has got a few more than me, and I think he’s currently holding the most consecutive, taking Jack Nicklaus out of the equation and some others. But yeah, active players.

Q. Talking about the Presidents Cup and Abraham Ancer, what do you see in his game and maybe his opportunity to win on the PGA TOUR? What can you say about Ancer’s game?
ADAM SCOTT: He’s a competitor. He reminds me a little bit of Tim Clark, who I’m quite close friends with. He’s a really gritty, gritty player. He’s not afraid to get in the middle of a dogfight on the golf course, and I think you can see that he kind of was our guy to play Tiger, which is not an easy task to do at a Presidents Cup, but especially if it’s your first time. But everyone believed that if we put him out first and he got Tiger that that was a good thing. I know he didn’t win the match, but he’s not afraid, that’s for sure, and I think that’s going to take him a long, long way.

Of course he has many wonderful attributes of his golf game, too, but I think probably one of his biggest strengths will be that he’s pretty fearless as a competitor.

Q. I’m pretty sure you were the one who said on probably Wednesday of the Presidents Cup that I’d be surprised if Abe is not our leading points getter. I don’t know how much time you spent with him playing at all in a tournament, but what would you have seen in a couple days that would have led you to say that?
ADAM SCOTT: It wasn’t really the couple of days, it was more about what I just said there. I just think he likes competing. And the thing I’ve learned from Presidents Cups is you’re thrown into competition immediately. Maybe people see it differently, but sometimes Thursday and Friday you’re just wandering around playing golf out here, and you’re kind of finding your rhythm and you’re moving up the leaderboard, or if you don’t go out and shoot 7-under the first round, you’re not right in it.

At Presidents Cups you’re right in it every time you tee off. You’ve got an 18-hole match and all eyeballs are on you, and I think that’s a good thing to kind of test where you are, but also I see a guy like Abe thrive off something like that.

I think when he gets in the mix out here, he doesn’t back down from it, and he’s going to win tournaments because of it.

MARK WILLIAMS: Adam, we appreciate you coming in, and hopefully you have a successful week this week.

Mexico City, Mexico

February 19, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports