MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 5, 2021

Adam Scott

Quick Quotes

ADAM SCOTT: From Monday, the greens are fiery, almost all of them. Usually in the past when it's been good weather, you're kind of lulled into a false sense of security Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday around here and then they cut your legs out from under you on Thursday and you're scared every chip shot and all of a sudden downhill putts are running to the edge of the green and stuff like that. That's what was happening out there. Looked like it was at a really tournament length, the grass around the greens and the firmness and the speed of the greens had that brown tinge on it. If that's a sign of things to come, we've got to buckle up for this week.

Q. Which year can you compare it to in terms of where we are at this point in the week?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, you don't often see it like this on a Monday, but in my memory, 2007 had the firmest greens I think I've played here in my years. Zach won. But in the practice round I actually remember being on the 16th green with Greg Norman and poured some water on the slope and the water just trickled all the way across and off the green. It never got absorbed. That stood out for me. I didn't do that today, but it looks kind of similar.

Q. Can there be a temptation to be too artistic around here with your shots?

ADAM SCOTT: I think so. I think there's always been that kind of folklore that it's a good course to draw the ball, yet some of the most dominant players are typically faders of the golf ball that have done well like Nicklaus and Faldo and even Dustin winning last year generally faded the golf ball. I think there's a bit of that kind of folklore about the place.

For me I think I learned that getting cute and being artistic got me in a lot of trouble quite easily around here. You have to do those things at the right moment, not all the time.

Q. How much of that realization played into the win? Did that realization lead to the win directly?

ADAM SCOTT: I think the experience ended up adding up. The first year I played here I knew nothing really, and I finished ninth. And then I just started finding out where all the trouble was the years after that.

It took me a while, and I really didn't play good tee to green until about 2010, which was nine years in, and kind of got my confidence back over the next couple years leading to the win. I certainly didn't have any of those revelations that now I'm drawing the ball, I'll win. You have to have a short game like Phil Mickelson to win, because I had none of that stuff.

I think it was just establishing a level of comfort through the experience for sure.

Q. Along the same lines, you talked last year about the advice you were giving to guys playing for the first time last November. What's the advice you're giving for guys playing April for the first time that may have played in November?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I think a little bit what I just said about myself, not knowing too much served me well. I just came in and played my game. I assessed the conditions, how I saw them, and I didn't know that maybe going for the left pin on 1 is the end of your tournament or something like that, and got away with it. I was playing well but got away with it.

I think it's not a bad thing to not pollute a first-timer's mind with don't hit it here or you'll never recover, that kind of stuff you don't need to hear. I think maybe there's a pointer or two that could be helpful but really I wouldn't try and influence a first-timer too much on how they play. You've got to develop your own level of comfort. I don't know anyone else's game that good to tell them how to play.

Q. I've been talking to Sergio about having to miss last November because of a positive COVID test. Do you get a little bit more nervous before the COVID test for this week?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, it is. You're nervous every week, but you come to play because I'm traveling far each week to play these tournaments, and I experienced that back at ZOZO last year when I got the shock of testing positive. But certainly coming up here I even thought about it last week I came up for a practice round and thought, well, I have to take a test to come and play the practice round. What happens if I'm positive; am I going to miss by running the risk of testing today?

It's weird stuff that we have to think about, but hopefully we're all on the back end of it, but I think -- I talked with Sergio about that, and it's gutting because in some ways, although it means not much, like having that streak that he had, it meant something. The longevity, it's pretty much overlooked generally, but it's an amazing streak of good golf that he's played to have 80 something straight majors was it? It was pretty strong golf and shows how well he's played for so long, and not to have an injury and all those kind of things.

He was more than a little disappointed to test out that week.

Q. I just spoke to Cam, he says he enjoys playing a lot of practice rounds with you at tournaments. Do you think he's maturing into the sort of golfer who can win a green jacket?

ADAM SCOTT: Oh, yeah, absolutely. We saw the potential that he has here just five months ago. I think more than anything with the experience and his maturity, he's got that kind of killer instinct in him when he's in the hunt. I see it when he plays match play. I saw it at the Presidents Cup.

Although he was always kind of trailing DJ, he never backed down. He didn't give DJ much breathing space. DJ still had to play a great round of golf Sunday. It looked like he was always well ahead, but there were moments where if one made and one missed, he was right there, and Cam is right up for the fight. His game is coming along nicely, consistent performing. It would have been no surprise if he's contending again, and if it's not this year it'll be another major this year or next year he could come up and win for sure.

Q. A couple weeks ago you said you weren't happy with your long game, but you said your short game was coming along fantastic. How are preparations leading into this tournament?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, it's been good. I've had a couple of weeks to really do what I want with my game, and the test will be on Thursday, but there's certainly been a focus on my long game. It was getting better at Honda, which was good, but I'd like to drive it a bit better again here, and if I can do that, I think that sets me up for a little bit more stress-free golf, which is not completely possible around Augusta National, but if you can take a little bit of the stress away, it makes for a nice week, and hopefully set yourself up for a run on the weekend.

Q. How special is this dinner tomorrow night, this Masters club dinner?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I mean, it's one of the highlights of my year every year. It's fantastic. I get to enjoy it with -- certainly for me, sitting in there with Trevor Immelman, who I've known for a long time, and being able to join him after a while, and we played junior golf together, I think it's a special thing. But it's not just Trevor; I think there's quite a strong bond between all the Masters champions and a high level of respect for all the guys in the room between each other. It's a fun evening to kind of gather and somewhat reminisce, even if it's in my own mind.