PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 8, 2020

Adam Scott

Harding Park Golf Club

Flash Quotes

JOHN DEVER: Good afternoon. Welcome back to the 2020 PGA Championship here at TPC Harding Park. Pleased to welcome back Adam Scott who has been incredibly gracious with his time this week, we appreciate it. Adam posted a 3-under par 70, 2-under for the championship.

Pretty clean scorecard, Adam, a couple bogeys, a couple birdies. What kind of golf course did you see out there today?

ADAM SCOTT: It was very challenging at the beginning of the day. I felt it was the most wind I'd felt teeing off in any round, but actually, in the last 45 minutes, it's calmed down a little bit. If it stays this way, that will be good for the guys that have the back nine to play, because as we made the turn, once you hit the 12th, it was looking incredibly challenging, and I think plenty of guys have come unstuck 12, 13, 14 today.

Q. I'm guessing you haven't played with Collin Morikawa before. What did you learn watching him today? He's had a quick impact out here on Tour.

ADAM SCOTT: For sure. I actually played nine holes with him this week in a practice round, as well. He played the kind of round today that I woke up thinking I'd like to play. It was really incredibly solid. He was in complete control, really, of all parts of his game. He never was in a lot of trouble.

I think he hit one bad shot and he might have made a bogey, but other than that, he was in complete control and he putted very well. He played major championship kind of golf today, and you know, it's easy to say he's got all the credentials, but he's kind of proving it.

Yeah, I couldn't be surprised if he goes on tomorrow and shoots another 65.

Q. Beyond his game, people who know him from college and stuff, talk about his poise and maturity. He's only 23. Did you see that at all?

ADAM SCOTT: Well, I get that impression. I mean, I like his demeanor on the golf course a lot. I could see it in the practice round. But again, you know, kind of confirmed to me today, it's Saturday of a major, and he was in that same kind of demeanor out there. Nothing was really going to phase him, and you know, he played a beautiful round of golf today.

Q. What's pleased you about these three rounds?

ADAM SCOTT: My putting has. That's been really good. I've driven it well the last two days off the tee, but my iron play has really been struggling the last two days. I can't hit it inside 30 feet, and that makes it pretty hard to just expect to roll in birdies from 50 feet all day. I've done well not to three-putt to be honest.

Q. What do you need to do tomorrow and how aggressive will you go out tomorrow to try to have a crack?

ADAM SCOTT: You can only be as aggressive as hitting the fairway off the tee. I mean, once you're not in the fairway, you're not aggressive. You have no control out of the rough. You might have a shot where you can get it on the green, but you're not really in control. If I can hit a lot of fairways, there's a low score out there somehow if I can dial in the irons. But I just haven't had them starting on my line and doing what I want in the wind. It's been difficult for me in that sense but I'm pleased I've putted very well.

Q. Back to Collin. As we started the week, there was talk -- length is an advantage, but guys were talking about bombing-and-gauging it. Collin is not necessarily one of the longer guys out here. How much does that belie the theory and what does it say about the rest of his game?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, to be solid -- but bomb and gauge is going to produce multiple major championships, absolutely. There's no doubt a guy who is going for the bomb-and-gauge can have his week and put it all together. You could have said about John Daly in '91 or '95 when he won his majors. However, he had a fairly well-rounded game with that length back then. I mean, his touch and stuff was good.

I like the way Collin's playing. I mean, today, there was no weakness, and he putted well. So that really works, and he seems to have it under control, if he doesn't mess around with it and he keeps everything under control, he's going to do a lot of good in his career.

Q. Talk about what it is in particular that you're going to be working on to fix the irons a little bit, and do you feel that you're close?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, it's close. I mean, it's far from horrible, but it's just not standing up to the test this week. I mean, it's just not good enough. I've missed way too many greens from the fairway and on par 3s, and left myself just scrambling, really.

You know, getting back to a competitive rhythm, hopefully that's it. I think my coach feels like everything is in a good position, but it's really just about me getting comfortable on the golf course, and you know, the wind, the left-to-right winds certainly have knocked me around a little bit this week, and reacting off some of those swings probably doesn't help. So I've got a little bit of work to do on my game for sure.