Easy does it as Scott hopes to end hoodoo
THE Presidents Cup has never really been essential viewing. While the pride, passion, patriotism and pandemonium of a Ryder Cup has observers teetering on the edge of their seats in captivated rapture, the Presidents Cup tends to provoke the kind of snorking, take-it-or-leave-it ambivalence you would get as you dozed off in front of the telly halfway through The Sky At Night with Patrick Moore.
Since its inception in 1994, the biennial tussle between the USA and The International team has been so lop-sided, even the Presidents Cup itself has been in danger of being impeached.
In 12 stagings, the USA have won 10 and drawn one. The only victory by The Internationals was achieved in 1998 at the same Royal Melbourne course which is staging this week’s encounter.
While that offers a little omen of hope for the hosts, the profile of the contest has been bolstered considerably by Tiger Woods’ dual role as captain and player for Team USA.
Meanwhile, the “cheat-gate” controversy surrounding Patrick Reed, and the verbal to-ings and fro-ings that it has provoked between players, has injected the skirmish with more needle than a syringe production line.
In many ways, Adam Scott’s record in the contest embodies The International team’s fortunes. In eight appearances, the Australian has lost seven times. At 39 he is the oldest player in a young International team. At No.18 on the world rankings, though, he is the highest ranked player in Ernie Els’ team.
Els himself was part of the side that won the cup for the only time and the Big Easy’s captaincy has already been given the seal of approval from Scott.
“He’s very calm at the moment,” said Scott on the eve of the opening session which, by the time you read this sentence, will be done and dusted.
Big Easy by nickname, Big Easy by nature? Well, not quite. Scott is well aware of Els’ fiery side.
“In my fourth pro event I played with Ernie at Loch Lomond [in the Standard Life Loch Lomond event of 2000],” recalled Scott. “He was a guy I’d idolised and we were playing quite late on the Saturday.
“He got off to a horrible start and he tore his caddie apart on the seventh green. I couldn’t believe it. The Big Easy was just irate.
“I thought to myself, ‘well, this is no behaviour that will lead to anything good’. You know, every psychologist I’ve seen has said, ‘don’t lose your temper’. I was absolutely shocked.
“I said to myself, ‘he’s got no chance’. And then he turned around and played a great 29 holes and won the tournament the next day.”
So, any lessons learned from that day? “I didn’t learn much from my psychologist,” chuckled Scott.
“But you can’t doubt the competitor that’s Ernie. Just look at his record.
You can’t win 50-plus tournaments and not be a fierce competitor.”
During 20 years as a pro, Scott has achieved plenty. In 2013 he became the first Australian to win the Masters and was the first Australian since his decorated compatriot, Greg Norman, to reach world No.1.
A haul of 27 worldwide victories illuminate a shimmering cv. Finally recording a Presidents Cup win would be a significant addition to his resume.
“I think it would probably mean a lot more to me than I’ve ever thought,” Scott admitted. “The last few years, I’ve put more of myself out there for the team, and so far it hasn’t yielded much of a result.
“It’s never fun leaving on Sunday having not won the trophy. This is a real opportunity for us and it will be possibly a team that is remembered after such a long stretch.
“I feel a very, very strong energy in the team, which certainly over some of the past cups we’ve been lacking. I’m very optimistic.”
I couldn’t believe it. The Big Easy was just irate. I was shocked