Scott is warming to a tilt in Tokyo
A RECONSIDERATION of his stance towards playing at the Olympics is among several changes for Australian golf star Adam Scott, as he prepares to kick off another challenging season on the US PGA Tour.
The popular former world No.1 had previously been vehemently against golf’s return to the Olympics when it was reintroduced in 2016. His focus has always been on golf’s four majors, of which he has one win – the 2013 Masters at Augusta National.
Scott remains indifferent about participating but is more enthusiastic about representing Australia given that this year’s Olympics will be held in Japan, a country that adores golf, in July. Scott also turned 40 last year, meaning the postponed Games could be the 14-time US PGA Tour winner’s last chance to bag an Olympic medal.
At world No.21, the topranked Australian, Scott would join No.27 Cameron Smith as the nation’s men’s golf team if it was decided now.
“I would consider playing; it’s still not my priority for the year, that’s for sure,” Scott said from the Tournament of Champions on Maui, Hawaii, which begins on Friday AEDT.
“But I wouldn’t rule it out because you can never really say never. It will certainly be something I’ll look at.”
He is contesting this week’s lucrative Tournament of Champions at the oceanside Plantation course at Kapalua, in the beautiful surrounds of
west Maui. It is the first time Scott has played the event since a tie for sixth in 2014. His usual Australian golf summer schedule and end-of-year break prevented him from starting his US season at Kapalua.
An avid surfer and close friend of Kelly Slater, Scott said he would take advantage of Maui’s surf this week.
“I have (surfed here) in the past. I’ve surfed a lot here and there are some waves coming this afternoon, so I might go for a quick paddle before the day’s up,” he said.
“Good preparation, I think.” But after Maui, which will award the winner $US1.3 million, the US PGA Tour’s travelling circus will get a lot more difficult for Scott. He and his wife and two children are now based in Switzerland. His coach, Brad Malone, lives in England. They all travel to the US for weeks at a time to compete.
But Scott is enjoying a second wind in his stellar career, having broken a drought of several years when he won the Australian PGA Championship in December 2019 and the Genesis Invitational on the US PGA Tour in February last year.