Scott throws out ‘broomstick’, but he’s still flying on greens

THE road back to using a short putter has inevitably been a long one for Adam Scott but the former world number one is confident his commitment to the conventional club should help him get back to playing his best golf.

Scott began weaning himself off the broomstick putter, which he won the 2013 US Masters with, earlier this year but returned to its comforts at the bigger tournaments when the going got tough.

With a ban on anchoring putters set to kick in next year, the Australian committed to the change before last month’s Presidents Cup and has stuck to his task despite some setbacks.

Yesterday, Scott could dare to dream of a more tranquil future on the greens as he shot a sparkling 64 at the Australian Masters in Melbourne to take a one-shot lead after the opening round.

Having settled on the claw grip after initially going cross-handed, Scott needed only 28 putts at Huntingdale Golf Club and enjoyed an early boost of confidence by draining a monster putt on his seventh hole, the 16th.

With his iron play and approach shots on song on a calm, muggy morning, Scott had little heavy lifting to do on the greens but holed everything he should have to finish with five birdies in his last eight holes.

Scott said his commitment to finally banishing the broomstick had lightened his load at the end of a taxing year in which he struggled for consistency and tumbled out of the top 10. “I committed, (and) this is what I’m going to do and I’m going to putt like this and work at it and try to be the best putter in the world, like I try to be in every aspect of the game,” the 35-year-old said.

Putting has been just one of the issues on Scott’s mind this year, having juggled caddies and his new role as a father. Scott’s regular bag-man, New Zealander Steve Williams, withdrew from the role full-time last year but has committed to “nine or 10” events next year, the Australian said.

Englishman David Clark, a former caddie to triple major winner Vijay Singh, is carrying Scott’s bag at the Australian Masters for a second year in a row and is set to be Williams’s stand-in going forward, he added. – Reuters