THE 149TH OPEN

July 16, 2021

Adam Scott

Mixed Zone

Q. Adam, thanks for joining us. First of all, happy birthday.

ADAM SCOTT: Thank you very much.

Q. Bogey-free 66. Certainly a nice gift to yourself.

ADAM SCOTT: Well, yeah. I needed something good today to kind of stay around for the weekend, so I played okay. I think I did well to keep the bogeys off the card and move in the right direction.

I'm a long way off the pace, so I need something miraculous tomorrow to give myself some hope.

Q. What do you think was the difference between today and yesterday?

ADAM SCOTT: Well, the wind was very strong yesterday afternoon. The scoring you saw was a little higher. I didn't play quite as well, so more struggles and less chances, and that was easily reflected in the score.

Q. First of all, happy birthday. We had Marcel Siem in here, he's only a day older than you. Today you seem to be finding a lot more fairways than yesterday. Was that down to the conditions or had you a bit more rhythm in your swing?

ADAM SCOTT: It was a bit of both. Look, it got pretty windy yesterday and even some well-struck irons still was hard to find the fairway.

That's just how it is here.

But certainly I was swinging with a little more confidence and freedom today. You know, it was much more manageable. The wind was not even half strength it felt like so I had to take advantage of that.

Q. After 3-over par 73 yesterday, must have been a little bit of anxiety heading into today in terms of making the cut. Certainly the way you started on the front nine ended all that, and only but for a lick of paint on the last you could have been 2-under heading into the weekend. You must be delighted with that and looking up rather than behind now?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, absolutely. Look, I got to look forward to the next two days. You never know. There are good scores out there, and if I can get out early and get all the favourable conditions and things that can happen at the Open. Move myself up closer to double digits tomorrow and you just never know what will happen.

I'm going to have to hit the ball and make some putts over the next couple days to think I might have a chance.

Q. Hi, Adam. It was actually a similar question to what you just got. I was curious, did you find something overnight, because you hit significantly more fairways today, and obviously that was a big factor this playing the way you did today? Or is it like you said, the rhythm came? Did you work on something last night maybe on the range or just had a great day today?

ADAM SCOTT: I just played better today. I didn't execute. I had the same game plan. I basically hit the same clubs off all the tees today, but it was a strong 20 mile an hour wind yesterday and I was a little bit off so I looked pretty average.

You know, today was a much easier wind and I was swinging a little better. Once you hit a few fairways the confidence comes and frees you up.

You know, it's that kind of course. It can -- you can look like a champion when you knock it straight down the middle with driver and look like a fool when you're laying up in the rough with a 5-iron.