AROUND THE TRAPS

ADAM Scott will miss his first major championship in 17 years should he fail to qualify for the US Open. The winner of the 2013 Masters Tournament has played every major since the 2001 Open Championship. But his severe drop in the world rankings means he is in now in danger of missing the US Open at Shinnecock Hills in June. The former World No.1 is ranked 59th at the time of going to press – and will need to remain inside the top-60 by May 21 or June 11 to receive automatic qualification, since his five-year exemption for winning the green jacket has now expired.

Scott has struggled for form since the beginning of the 2017 season, and has only recorded four top-10s from 24 starts.

“My putting is not quite there and that puts pressure on the irons which aren’t great,” Scott said candidly after the Masters. “I need to sharpen up at both those areas to really contend at a major. I just get off to slow starts all the time ... something has got to change. I don’t know what it is but I have to have a think about it.”

The 37-year-old sounds frustrated. He hasn’t won on Tour since March, 2016. But he does have some favourable events approaching. Scott has previously won the Texas Open, The Players Championship, the AT&T Byron Nelson and the Fort Worth Invitational – all of which are played prior to the US Open.

Should he capture his 14th career victory, the Queenslander will go a long way towards qualifying for his 69th major championship.

Scott’s fellow Australians, Jason Day and Marc Leishman have each booked their spots for the 118th US Open, with Cameron Smith all but certain to earn a place.