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WGC DELL MATCH PLAY

March 22, 2016

Adam Scott

Austin, Texas

CHRIS REIMER: We'd like to welcome Adam Scott to the interview room. Obviously in phenomenal form as of late, coming to the Dell Match Play. Just some opening comments on being here in Austin.

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, it's exciting to be here in Austin, at a new venue this year. I think all the players are looking forward to this week, from everything we've heard about the course and the town embracing the golf tournament. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. And match play is a different format for me.

I'd like to win a match (laughter). It's been a while. It feels like. I'm going to thoroughly enjoy this week, no matter what happens, but I'd love to make it on to the weekend and try and keep this form rolling.

Q. I'm curious how much value you put in winning leading up to the Masters. I think when you won in '13, you didn't -- I think you only played a couple of times. How would you speak to that?
ADAM SCOTT: Winning is very important. It's huge for the confidence. I think, in '13, I was just very content with where my game was going into the Masters. I didn't win but I was very comfortable that everything was in the right place.

Then preparation was very good. It was very structured and I had a good idea of what I needed to do to kind of get the stars to align in Augusta. You could see it happening in the practice rounds there, and it was just a matter of staying calm and executing. And I guess that's what it's all about when you're on form.

This year it's been a great last month. And I just have to find that balance, like I talked about, of continuing to have the good play and keeping the confidence high. I think probably for me this week it's a discipline thing, it's not being loose, not going for too much, playing like I'm back starting from scratch with something to achieve. Because last week I think I played a lot of great golf, but a few loose shots into the water, which can certainly happen in Florida, cost me a lot, cost me a chance at the tournament.

Q. Are you excited about a tournament (inaudible)?
ADAM SCOTT: That's a big plus for me at the moment. But like I said, I think I've made enough of them now and I've got away with them a couple of times. It caught up with me last week.

I think I need to tighten the game up a little bit because certainly if I'm not punished this week, I'll be punished at Augusta for those kind of errors, getting two or three back. At Honda and Doral, it's probably a little more possible than getting on hot runs at majors and Augusta National. You don't just reel off five birdies just because you're playing out there. It's very difficult. And I think I need to just tighten the focus up a little bit.

Q. Just curious, you joke about your recent history in this tournament, yet in your younger years, when you probably weren't as good a player as you are now, you did quite well. So explain that.
ADAM SCOTT: I really loved La Costa, I just really enjoyed the tournament there. And once I left La Costa, I think my game left, as well.

I don't know, I didn't have much success in the desert at all. And unfortunately, last year, I didn't either. So I'd like to turn it around because I don't really want to get a beatdown this week and go home Friday.

Q. Those losses or whatever, a lot of time it came down to putting on the greens in the desert or even last year it was so slow and whatnot at Harding Park. You are putting obviously much better this year, and that makes you a much more formidable opponent. Do you feel that that might be a turnaround?
ADAM SCOTT: In match play, putting is a huge thing. If you're hot with the putter, even if you're not playing your best, you're hard to beat. So hopefully the putter is hot for some matches this week and I can get through.

I think just generally my game is in better shape and I'm feeling good about things. It's an important time of year to be keeping the confidence where it's at. I need to go out and perform this week and have no setbacks. So I'm going to be taking what I thought last week I could have done better, I could have just played slightly more disciplined. It's been fun freewheeling it, but like I said, I think the errors caught up with me last week and I need to play a little smarter this week and play my opponent, mostly.

Q. You did spank Fowler last time in match play, in The Presidents Cup?
ADAM SCOTT: That was a good match for me. But anything can happen in 18-hole match play. I had a hot four holes and you can play good in four holes and not make a birdie, and if the guy is making birdies you're four down, and that's a long way to come back from. Like I said, a hot putter is a good thing this week.

Q. The wind here is obviously going to be a massive factor, are you comfortable with the gusts? They say the Aussies are good in the wind, is it good for you, as well?
ADAM SCOTT: I like the wind. I think I play some good golf in some strong wind. But there's a lot of where it gets just plain difficult and everyone makes errors.

But I certainly think I've grown up by the coast playing in the wind. I practice a lot in the wind at home. I have learned to control my ball flight. I'm a fairly low ball hitter anyway, so I think that's good for me.

Q. On the freewheeling ways in which you've spoken, how much of that is just a direct consequence of the confidence and feeling as if you can pull off any shot? It would seem that you don't really want to rein that in too much, because that's part of the success?
ADAM SCOTT: Of course it is, of course. It's finding that balance of playing free. I mean that's really something I've enjoyed probably since LA, playing very free, very confident in my ability to pull off some shots and gain some strokes on the field from doing that.

Last week I wasn't quite as harp, but I still made a lot of birdies and enough to contend, I believe. But I also made a couple of poor errors that cost me a lot of shots. And that happens on the Florida courses with the water carries. There's no recovery from that when you're dropping basically where you hit your shot from.

But I don't want to rein it in too much. I just want to be smart with it. And that's a nice position to be in. It's a lot easier to just rein it in a little bit than try and play free when you're not.

Q. In you're playing in a Pro Am round with an amateur, do you have a go-to tip if a guy asks you to look at his swing? What's your favorite tip to give a guy?
ADAM SCOTT: Make sure you look up to see the long ones (laughter).

Q. With so many of the top golfers having won already this year and playing at the top of their game, is it going to be just a free-for-all at the Masters? And is Jordan not the heavy, heavy favorite he might be otherwise?
ADAM SCOTT: I don't know if it's a free-for-all. I think it's an exciting lead up to the Masters with a lot of players -- a lot of top players in great form and a lot of stories there, I think, probably more so than the past few years maybe.

There are more guys in the conversation, including Phil Mickelson, I think, who is playing some really good golf. I've played with Phil a few rounds in the last month and he certainly seems to be playing some inspired golf. Put him at Augusta and the best comes out of him, it seems.

There are so many that I'd be surprised if some or all of these guys aren't there come Sunday, from Bubba to Jason to Jordan, Rory, he's playing for the career Grand Slam. Everyone has got some motivation to play well at Augusta.

Q. Do you think Jordan is pressing a little bit given his great year last year?
ADAM SCOTT: I don't really know. I think he's going there wanting to defend a title, like anybody feels they want to hold on to their title.

We're sitting two weeks out and a lot can change in two weeks for the good or the worse, but in dealing with a guy like Jordan who knows how to prepare and to peak at these events, so if he's not where he wants to be, I don't know, I'm sure he can be by the time Augusta comes around.

Q. Because a hot putter is important and anything can happen in 18 holes and every match is tough and anybody can beat anybody, I think we've covered it there, when you look at your group, what interests you? What are you looking for?
ADAM SCOTT: I don't think it really matters who's in your group here.

Q. Did you look, then?
ADAM SCOTT: I just saw that I have Chris and Bill and Thomas. That's that. I mean, it doesn't matter. These are the best 64 players in the world, and there's -- like you just said, for all those reasons, it doesn't matter if my group was Rory, Bubba and Jason Day. I mean, it's all tough matches to me, they're all the same.

Q. No reaction when you look at that paper?
ADAM SCOTT: Not really, no.

Q. My goodness, I'm not going to have a lot of conversation, nothing like that?
ADAM SCOTT: No, not really. I'm just focused on going out and winning my match. I mean, I'm not too interested in having a conversation with anyone out there. That's nice if we do, but I don't really care if we don't. I'm out there to beat them.

Like I said, every match is going to be tough and I feel like I've got the ability to beat anyone in this field, so that's why I think I didn't have a reaction to my group.

Q. You think any of them saw you and quivered?
ADAM SCOTT: Hopefully, but I don't know, you'd have to ask them.

CHRIS REIMER: Thoughts on the golf course? What have you heard? I think you mentioned you played here quite a bit back. What do you remember?

ADAM SCOTT: I'm pretty sure I did play a college event here, and I can't believe you guys haven't dug that up. But it must have been in 1998 or 1999.

Q. Charley?
ADAM SCOTT: I asked him, and he was a bit vague. Surprisingly college is all a bit vague to Charley.

I definitely played a full year in Las Vegas, yes, for college. But we played an event here, and it looked familiar somewhat coming in (laughter). And it's a good track.

I've heard great things about it, I hear the greens are pretty quick and with the wind it's going to be a challenge. When you're playing match play, you want to be on these good tracks and challenges. It's going to be enjoyable this week, no matter what happens out there. Hopefully a lot of fun.

Q. You didn't win the tournament here?
ADAM SCOTT: I'm pretty sure. I didn't win one college tournament. I had a good team. We won a couple as a team, but I never won a college tournament.

CHRIS REIMER: Good luck this week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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