Scott breaks free of major lull
ST. LOUIS — Adam Scott was back in contention for the first time in what seemed like an eternity when the former Masters champion began the final round a month ago at the British Open . His mindset? Take it low. “And I took the wrong mindset,” Scott admitted Saturday after shooting a 5under 65 that left him two shots back of Brooks Koepka heading into the final round of the 100th PGA Championship.
He wound up shooting 73 at Carnoustie and was never in contention on the back nine.
“I expected to shoot too low in pretty tough conditions and shot myself in the foot a little bit,” Scott said, “but it felt good to be back feeling like I was in contention at a major.”
It certainly had been a while.
Scott was one of the world’s top players a couple of years ago, his green jacket and No. 1 ranking still fresh in peoples’ minds. He had won the Barclays Classic and three more times after his triumph at Augusta, riding a sweet swing and long putter to the forefront of golf’s youth revolution.
Maybe it was the ban on that long putter, or maybe it was some problems with his swing that sent him churning through coaches. Whatever the reason, everything fell apart in 2017, when Scott had only four top 10s and failed to contend in the events that mattered most.
That included a missed cut at the U.S. Open and a tie for 61st at the PGA.
Scott had continued to struggle this year, again missing the cut when the U.S. Open was played at Shinnecock Hills. His only top 10 has been a tie for ninth at the Byron Nelson, when a third-round 72 was enough to keep him from giving eventual winner Aaron Wise a run for his money.
“Now then a couple of years have slipped by and I haven’t contended,” Scott said. “Another five and you’re basically wheeling me out to pasture, at that point.”
Not quite. But he has fallen far enough on the FedEx Cup points list that determines whether he gets to keep his PGA Tour playing privileges that he entered the Wyndham Championship next week in part to give himself another opportunity to pile them up against a relatively soft field.
By contrast, the field at Bellerive this week is one of the best all season, and somehow Scott has found some of his old magic.
It was evident on the front nine Saturday, when Scott kept his momentum going from a second-round 65 with four birdies and no bogeys. He got on a run of pars after the turn before a bogey at the par-4 15th, but Scott bounced back to go birdie-birdie with a par to cap his round.
Meanwhile, Brooks Koepka had dropped consecutive shots midway through his back nine, and that meant Scott was only trailing the two-time reigning U.S. Open champion by two heading into the final round.
He will play it with a heavy heart, just as he has the entire tournament.
Scott was close with fellow Australian Jarrod Lyle, who twice beat cancer while working his way onto the PGA Tour. Lyle passed away Wednesday night after the cancer returned for a third time. Asked if that would make winning mean anything more, Scott paused for a long while.
“I mean, it would be morethan-twice the thrill for me,” he said, “but no matter who wins tomorrow, if that person has met Jarrod, they will have felt something with him passing this week.
“But I think a part of everyone is playing for Jarrod out here this week.”