SWING AWAY
Golfer Adamscott Adam Scott has put the horror of the pandemic behind him and, buoyed by the arrival of his third child, he has his game on track to topple the world’s best golfers on the biggest stages and a burning desire to move his family home to his beloved Australia
Adamscott dam Scott is getting closer to finding his sweet spot. As a golfer he’s hitting form, as a father he’s learning more and as an Aussie he’s counting down to a first visit home in nearly two years. Covid turned his world upside down and he also contracted the virus twice, but he is confident he’s navigated a path through the rough.
“It was a grind for a little while but feels like I’m out of the woods and things feel a bit more calm and light and easy which is a nice place to be,’’ Scott says.
“We’ve been based full time in Switzerland the last two years and travelling back to the US. Obviously it was quite challenging, it would have been much easier to base in the US but that’s not what I did so I’ve only got myself to blame for any hardships there.
“It’s all getting a bit easier now, we also had a third child during this time and if you want to just rock your world you have a third child and create mayhem at home as well as at the golf course.
“It’s been challenging in a lot of ways and incredibly rewarding too. It really feels like everything is calming down for me and my focus is coming back to the golf course.”
Scott and his wife of eight years, Marie Kojzar, Kojza welcomed son Bjorn in October 2020. They also have daughter Bo Vera, 7, and son Byron, 4.
“Bjorn, a good Aussie name,’’ Scott laughs. “Do you think my wife picked that name? No, not really (named after anyone) although I didn’t mind the tennis player Bjorn Borg.
“The boys didn’t get middle names, only our daughter did. I thought they had pretty strong first names so didn’t need it.
“I was willing to change and switch it up but once again I got voted down on that one and we have the B’s now. They think it’s all pretty fun, they’re young and learning the alphabet and have the same first letter.”
Scott loves being a father and with his measured nature no doubt exudes patience and understanding.
The only catch at the moment is that golf is associated with him being away.
“Bo just turned 7 and she hates it because she knows I have to leave to go play golf so it’s a real sad point,’’ Scott says.
“She’s very aware and she’s a sweet girl and she loves the family being together and she’s into all that. She has a bad association with golf at the moment which is a bit tough at times when I leave.
“Hopefully she doesn’t bring that to the boys because that’ll be rough for a few years yet.
“Now they’ll get to travel with me a bit more. The last couple of years in that sense has been tricky and that’s probably why. But in a few weeks they’re going to come out to America and take a week off school so they’ll think golf’s a bit more cool.”
Scott can’t wait to be reunited with his Aussie family on the Gold Coast towards the end of this year.
He has the next few weeks in Florida, is currently at the Players Championship and will have another tilt at his beloved US Masters tournament at Augusta next month.
“My dad (Phil) just visited us in the Middle East and I took the family there and we kind of had the reunion,’’ Scott says.
“My mum (Pam) didn’t come but hopefully she’ll be able to come soon now that things have opened up. My sister also had a child in this time too so they’ve got a couple of grandkids to meet.
“The two of mine who have been down there in Queensland, they still remember even though it’s been a while. They want to go to the beach and learn to swim so they look forward to it.”
Scott says he’s always considered Australia to be home and even though he turned pro in 2000 and started travelling the world, he remarkably still carries an
Aussie accent. “My mates wouldn’t let me live it down if I didn’t have it,’’ he jokes.
“Australia has always been home and always will be. I’m getting closer to that point where I can actually move home full time.
“I’m not quite done with my dreams of winning big events yet.
“Hopefully I can tick a few of those boxes in the next couple of years and get home before I’m maybe too old to enjoy the surf and beach the way I’d like to.
“I’d love to have my kids grow up a bit in Australia as well. It’s definitely still home, it always has been, no matter where I have been based. I knew since I was a kid that I would have to base myself elsewhere if I was to play the Tour. That’s just the way it is. I do look forward to coming back and spending some significant time there one day.”
Scott still has the fire and drive to keep winning and putting in the work to add to his 14 PGA Tour titles and 31 worldwide wins – plus more than $60m in on-course earnings. He is also keen to help the next generation of players and last month in LA he held the inaugural UNIQLO Adam Scott Junior Golf Championship at the River Ridge Golf Club.
In a cross-continental golfing collaboration, The American Junior Golf
Association, Japan Golf Association and Golf Australia selected a total of 78 members, aged 12-18, to join and compete in the tournament.
As part of the UNIQLO tournament program, Scott hosted a discussion, ran a golf clinic for the junior players and imparted some words of wisdom.
“I definitely think this is something we want to continue doing,’’ Scott says.
“Hopefully it might be something we can do in Australia as well. I’ve supported juniors in different ways in Australia and I have an event at Sanctuary Cove and I’ve supported Royal Queensland juniors as well where I grew up.
“It gives some kids an incredible chance to travel and go to some different places.
“It’s great to see some winners and Jeff (Guan) from Australia won the boys (competition) in tough conditions. Golfers in Australia have probably heard of him so he certainly lived up to his reputation.
“I think generally the state of Aussie golf is really good. We sometimes get stuck on what tournament is doing this or that with the pros but that’s not really what it’s all about.
“Amazingly through Covid, golf all around the world had this huge boom in participation and I hope the organisations involved find a way to keep people interested.
“People have a bit less time but hopefully we have them hooked. I’m certainly not worried about the talent when I look at kids like Jeff and Justice (Bosio).
“It worked for me and worked for Jason Day and now we see Cam Smith really hitting his stride on the PGA Tour and there’s a bunch of other guys in the wings and only a couple of years away we’ll be seeing Jeff Guan and Justice coming through. I’m not worried, we have to make sure we keep nurturing talent.”
When Covid hit in 2020 Scott had just won at the Genesis Invitational and was the No.6 ranked player in the world.
Fast forward and he’s now at 34 – with a bullet – after climbing back and improving his game. He struggled to find his groove navigating a new world of regulations and for a time found it difficult to play without crowds.
“I feel like I’m playing better than that (ranking),’’ Scott says. “There’s a bit of hangover from last season’s average form let’s say, and I haven’t played very much until a few weeks ago.
“My form this year is three top 10s in the first four events so things are going well and if I keep playing well the ranking will go in the right direction.
“It’s a grind no doubt. These young kids now are good and they play a fearless kind of golf and every week they’re setting new scoring records on the tour.
“Guys are getting much better. My work is cut out for me but I’m really enjoying where I am at the moment with my game. And off the back of the last couple of years when everything was kind of upside down, it feels like it’s all settled down a bit.
“It would be nice to keep my game in good shape.
“Any time you play well it’s good for confidence generally and you never know what can happen.”
I’m not quite done with my dreams of winning big events yet