MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 6, 2023

Adam Scott

Quick Quotes

Q. Seeing what the other scores were on the golf course how satisfied were you with your opening round?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, it's probably, I don't know for a fact, but it's probably my best ever opening round. So I have to be satisfied with that. But it was ideal conditions, still fairly soft out there with all the humidity and there were going to be low scores. There's no wind. So it was nice to get started in the right direction.

Q. Especially as you look ahead and you know there's stuff coming in?

ADAM SCOTT: Kind of. You want to put yourself in the right spot early. Any week you want to get off to a good start. But we just don't know what's going to happen and how the weather might affect the rest of the week. So if you're hanging around right from the start on a week like this it's probably helpful.

Q. What are the smaller things that you did leading up to this tournament that you felt like showed up there on the golf course?

ADAM SCOTT: I did some pretty major like overhauling of my equipment, actually. I think that may not be a hundred percent comfortable, but it's certainly, I saw some benefit from doing that. I changed some shafts in my irons and my driver and my golf ball. So I've kind of winging it a little bit out there. It all feels pretty good. But I putted very nicely today and that's always helpful around here.

Q. What was the benefit of having Steve on the bag out here?

ADAM SCOTT: Well, he's doing, I don't know, I think he's doing about eight of my 18 events this year, so obviously we've had a good history here. And balancing out the schedules with two caddies is a little tricky, but it's not that tricky. I mean this was certainly a priority to have Steve on the bag here with our past history and he's buzzing to be back at Augusta. So it's up to me to play good to keep that buzz going.

Q. With the starts and stops possible, you might have to play 27 holes, is it harder at this age those kind of weeks than it was before?

ADAM SCOTT: I'll let you know after the week. I don't know. I feel like I've done well in start/stop golf and I do often do well when we play 27 holes or 36 holes. Because you can get in a rhythm and you don't have to stop after your round's done, you're back out there an hour or 30 minutes later and you can keep that rhythm going. I remember winning the Texas Open with 36 holes on Sunday and I came kind of from nowhere and just kept making birdies. So it can happen.

The course is going to be soft most likely if it rains this much. It just depends if we can get out there and handle the rain pouring down.

Q. What's your fitness routine like to keep yourself in good shape and at your age to stay viable and stay lose?

ADAM SCOTT: I like this my age stuff. You know, yeah, I work at it really hard and I have pretty much my whole career, I would say. But all that work really gets done before this week. I mean, during the week it's really maintenance type stuff just to keep the body activated. And with a start/stop and maybe long days it's, hopefully that fitness holds up, because you need to kind of save some energy for this long weekend ahead.

Q. (No Microphone.)

ADAM SCOTT: I hit 6-iron and I had 205, I think it was.

Q. Is there a particular challenge to the Masters Thursday and do you try to approach it like any other round and how do you balance that with obviously wanting to play well so badly here?

ADAM SCOTT: I've always felt it's the most nervous I am on a golf course is the first tee Thursday at the Masters. It's the build-up. We haven't played a major since last summer. We all know how special this place is for golfers and, yeah, it's the anticipation and nerves and competitive nerves and it's hard to get that under control, even through the front nine. I've had years where I really struggled, especially if you get off to a little rough start, which is easy because I think they're the hardest holes on the course, the first six or seven, and it can slip away from you quick. So somehow you've got to get it under control and today I got off to a really great start, so that was nice.

Q. Did you do anything in particular that worked to manage those nerves today?

ADAM SCOTT: Look, I think my theme for the day was just to be really just committed to hit every shot and deal with it. I think I hit most of 'em pretty well and even the ones that weren't my best I think they finished better than hitting a weak shot not committed. So it's a good way to play this golf course.

Q. Does Steve help with that sort of thing, with commitment in general?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, he's very assertive in how he caddies and very positive. He's not -- he's direct. And it's all positive. That is very helpful, for sure.

Q. Do you pick up right where you left off with him? Does he know your numbers right away? How does that whole process go when you get back together?

ADAM SCOTT: Pretty much. Yeah, just like you can't teach an old dog new tricks. I'm kind of in the same category as well. I haven't, although I did change some equipment, it doesn't change that much my style of play. And he caddied for me a couple weeks back at the end of last year in Australia and so it was -- the first round we shot 5-under, I think, in that tournament. I at least think I know what I'm going to get from Steve. He might say different about me, but I think I know what I'm going to get.

Q. I know it's been a topic all week, the 10-year anniversary since you won. But when you step on the first tee this morning do you feel that from the crowd and all the thing about being a former Masters champion?

ADAM SCOTT: I think all the former champions feel it here. I think you even get good breaks from it. My ball bounced out of a bunker and onto the first green today. Like, you know, I think there's some good vibes being a Masters champion and coming back here and it's appreciated and it's certainly felt by those champions.

Q. (No Microphone.)

ADAM SCOTT: I don't know. Must have been nearly a foot maybe from the hole. But it's fun. It was a fun day out there. I think I saw lots of good shots and the two guys in my group rolled it up there pretty close on 13 for eagle and I think there was a fair bit of excitement out there. It felt like the Masters today.

Q. (No Microphone.)

ADAM SCOTT: I was second last to register for the Tournament.

Q. (No Microphone.)

ADAM SCOTT: No, just better late than never.

Q. (No Microphone.)

ADAM SCOTT: I got here Monday afternoon.