THE HONDA CLASSIC

March 11, 2003

Adam Scott

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Thank you for joining us. You played well at the Accenture Match-Play Championship and gave Tiger a run for his money. Maybe just before we go into this week's tournament, talk about that week.

It must have been a fun week for you, and then we'll get into this week at the Honda Classic.

ADAM SCOTT: Yes, it was a good week for me at The Match Play tournament. Really, I took a lot of confidence out of the week, just making it so far. I think fortunately for me it was a match-play event not a stroke-play event. I don't think I would have had as good a finish in a stroke-play event. But really playing against Tiger and playing well against him was a big confidence boost for me. I think I can take a lot of positives out of that match, even though I still think I should have won and I had the chance to win, as well.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: You're adding some events in the States this year in addition to playing in Europe and Australia. If you could talk about what's behind the thought process of the events you're playing on the PGA TOUR this season.

ADAM SCOTT: I have not really set a firm number of events. The first half of the year I have pretty much planned what I am going to play many I'm going to stay here through the Houston Open. I'm missing Atlanta and Hilton Head; then I'm back at the Memorial, I think is the other one I'm playing outside the majors.

Then after the second half of the year, I'll just see how I go. I really am not too sure what I'm going to do the second half of the year.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Maybe some thoughts on this golf tournament, and in particular, the golf course we are playing this year at the Honda Classic.

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, a new golf course; it's a long course. It's in great shape, as well. I enjoyed playing out there today. It's a long way around, though. It took us a while.

Yeah, I've had a good result in the Honda once before. I feel it's nice to be back. I'm looking forward to an enjoyable week. I actually enjoyed playing on these bermudagreens because that's what I grew up on in Queensland, so I should know them pretty well.

Q. The Match Play, you said you felt like should you have won, what do you think was the difference?

ADAM SCOTT: I feel the difference -- I feel I definitely played better than Tiger on the day. The difference was I missed three or four putts from inside six feet and he didn't miss a putt inside eight feet for the day, and that makes a big difference in match-play.

Then, of course, I missed the short putt on the 19th hole, which cost me the match.

Q. How generally did your game shape up with his?

ADAM SCOTT: I was hitting it past Tiger pretty much. I think I was playing really well all week. To play your best golf against a guy like that and to not be intimidated is a good feeling. I think I can take a lot out of that for the future and hopefully I'm going to be playing against him for a while to come.

Q. Were you nervous about playing with Tiger?

ADAM SCOTT: I don't know, Rich said something to me before I went out and he said, "This is what you dream of, to play golf against the best player in the world." That was a little inspirational for me. It really is. You shouldn't fear it at all. It's what you dream of as a kid to be playing against one of the greatest players ever.

I found that a bit inspirational. And also, I felt more comfortable playing against Tiger than any other person that week, except maybe Peter Lonard, because I know Tiger better than all of the other guys I played with that week.

But before Tiger's match, I felt a little uncomfortable and I didn't really know the guys I was playing and how they play, but I know Tiger quite well and I know how his game -- how he plays his game and I was pretty comfortable with that and I knew what to expect.

Q. Do you get a chance to play practice rounds with Tiger?

ADAM SCOTT: Absolutely. I've seen him play unbelievable shots in practice rounds that you guys see in tournaments, and I know he's going to do those things.

I think I wasn't surprised to see him nearly hole out on 16 when he was 1-up and almost closed me out there. It didn't really surprise me. I was waiting for him to do something like that. It's just a matter of whether I could answer him or not.

Q. A lot of people compare your swings; do you see that?

ADAM SCOTT: Not really at all, no. I think I saw it a lot when I was younger, maybe when I first turned pro and I was 19, I saw a lot of similarities. I think my swing has developed a little bit sense then and things have changed. But I see some similarities, but not that many.

Q. What is it in your swings that might be similar?

ADAM SCOTT: Well, I don't know, I think I probably don't hit the ball as hard as I used and that's why I don't see it so similar. I think his swing has changed a little bit as well since three or four years ago.

My posture as changed a little bit which I'm trying to fix at the moment. It doesn't look the same if you put them side by side. I'm working on my posture at the moment to get a little better than that.

Q. (Inaudible.)

ADAM SCOTT: We all get pretty picky with our positions. It can be completely different to us but looks almost exactly the same to the untrained eye, I guess. I'm sure I can understand why people say I do swing like Tiger. When I you're first 16 and you come out and try to turn pro, everyone tried to swing like Tiger.

Q. This will be the most you have played over here; right?

ADAM SCOTT: At one time, I think it's probably the most I've played over here.

I expect to kind of carry on from where I kind of left off at The Match Play. I said to a few guys there that I feel like I should be over here to make an impact, and not just make up the numbers and gain experience. I should get over here and make an impact.

I have set some personal goals this year that I want to achieve, and playing well over here just helps me achieve those goals, so that's what I am here to do.

Q. Is this a trial run for a full PGA TOUR schedule next year?

ADAM SCOTT: Possibly. I think at some stage I definitely need to come over here and play. I think that's where I'm going to keep developing with my game and get the best out of myself.

If I play really well, and I get a Tour card this year -- it's a tough decision for me to make. I think the way it works with the European events in Australia, South Africa, the majors, the World Golf events counting, it's pretty easy for me to keep my card in Europe and play a full season over here. Either way, I'll probably be able to keep my card in both places.

Q. Inaudible?

ADAM SCOTT: Well, I think I don't have a card over here, so I don't have that choice of playing over here. That's why I'm staying in Europe.

I think it's pretty hard to say no to a PGA TOUR card the way things are at the moment. If I had one, I would probably be playing a full season over here and making up my 11 events in Europe this year, but I don't have a card over here.

But I'm more than happy playing in Europe. I really enjoy myself over there and I think it's been a great place to develop my golf game. I've got a lot of confidence from playing in Europe.

Q. Can you talk about your rivalry with Aaron Baddeley?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I think in Australia, they made us enemies almost, kind of, getting pretty brutal about it, but that's not the case. I think it's always going to be a rivalry. It's just natural for competitors to be that way. But it's a pretty friendly rivalry. I'm happy seeing Aaron playing well than Aaron playing poorly because the guy has got a lot of talent and it's nice to see him playing well again.

Q. Inaudible?

ADAM SCOTT: I don't know, I just try and find all the opposites. I went to Europe and he came to America, just make points of the different paths we have taken, but we are all going to the same place in the end, I think, in our mind set, to be one of the world's best players.

Q. Do you talk a lot or is it hard when you are both playing?

ADAM SCOTT: Between me and Aaron? Yeah, we don't talk that much at all, just simply because we are never around each other. He's living over here; I live in London. This will be the first event that we've played in together this year, and so I haven't seen him yet.

We are friends, but certainly it's not like great mates, like you could say Stuart Appleby and Robert Allenby are. We grew up in different places in Australia. We didn't live near each other in Australia and went through different programs the whole way through, so we never really spent that much time together. We just played a lot of golf together.

Q. Do you guys exchange phone numbers or call each other often?

ADAM SCOTT: Not really, no.

Q. How does this course set up for you?

ADAM SCOTT: I think it sets up fine. I think there are two different ways to play it. It's quite a strategic course. There's a lot of water, so you have to figure out a way of keeping out of that for most of the day. I wouldn't say it's ideal for me, but I kind of like the way it plays, yeah.

I feel like it's a little bit of target golf with so much water around, and I can play that way and that's fine. It's probably not my favorite style of golf, but I think it's a good course still. It will be a good test this week.

Q. Are you going to have to put your driver away?

ADAM SCOTT: On the front nine, I only hit it a couple of times.

I think it all depends on the wind. I think if the wind is not blowing, then it can leave -- the driver will get played a lot. If the wind is blowing on some downwind holes, the driver runs out, there are a lot of fairways that are just totally run out and it's an island and jump to the other fairway. I'm not hitting it that much, four or five times a round maybe.

I can also club my way around the course, Faldo-style.

Q. Is this a course that would generally favor a long hitter?

ADAM SCOTT: I think it almost -- the long hitter loses his advantage because of the run-outs in the fairways, especially on a couple of the par 5s.

Yeah, I don't know, I think the short hitters might have a bit of an advantage here. They might hit driver where the other hitters hit 3-wood up there and they are in the same spot.

I think the straight hitters have the advantage here.

Q. How is the rough?

ADAM SCOTT: I don't know.

Q. You weren't in it?

ADAM SCOTT: No, I don't know if I drove it in the rough today. I drove it in the rough on 18 but it was all right. The rough is not too fierce, I don't think.

Q. It's overseeded; right?

ADAM SCOTT: I think so, it's a ryegrass. It's not bermuda.

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