FEDEX ST. JUDE CHAMPIONSHIP

August 14, 2024

Adam Scott

TPC Southwind

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome Adam Scott to the interview room here at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. You're entering the week at No. 46 in the FedExCup, three top-10 finishes this season. Can you recap your year as we head into this playoff stretch.

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah. I think it's been a tough year to get some momentum going for me, but I finally did over in the UK, having a good result at the Scottish Open and the Open, and helping my cause into the Playoffs a lot.

Just spent the year trying not to get too frustrated with not getting great results, and finally came around, so I'm excited for the next few weeks, and hopefully I can play well here and go all the way through Atlanta.

Q. Speaking of playing well here, you finished T5 in 2022. Can we get overall comments on the course?

ADAM SCOTT: I think it's one of the underrated courses on TOUR. It requires or at least tests every part of the game, especially mentally, the patience needed around here. It doesn't really stack up yardage-wise with some of our big courses, but there's precision needed around here, and it's hard if you're off, whether you're playing from the rough, off the fairway or missing greens. It's not easy to scramble for the whole week.

I like this golf course. It's a good challenge, and I've had some good results here in the past.

Q. How do you feel about the Playoffs as a point where it's really kind of a new season in a way, or does it feel more like a new season when you get to this point?

ADAM SCOTT: Sitting in my position, there's so much to play for. I think everyone has a lot to play for. But these few weeks can turn just an average year into a really great year on TOUR, playing well on the right weeks. I did that a couple years ago. In fact, a couple years ago I would have said I played quite poorly for the season and had a good run in the Playoffs and made it to Atlanta, and all of a sudden you've had a great year.

A similar thing coming in here, although I played better this year than a couple years ago and even last year. There's a lot to gain, I think, for everybody who's made it here. Even the guy sitting No. 1, there's still a lot -- he's achieved almost as much as you can, but he's going to want to finish off his year as that dominant player.

Q. What has been the difference for you this year? Why are you playing a little better? What have you done better?

ADAM SCOTT: I think I've improved in most areas of the game this year, although not drastically. But I've tried really hard. Does that count? I've tried really hard because I find it really challenging at this point playing mediocre golf. That's very frustrating, and like I said opening up here, I've tried not to get frustrated. I've felt like it's close, and I was moving some equipment around this year, and with all the right intentions not always landing the right spot.

But I feel like just before the Scottish Open, through the bag, landed in a good spot, and that's been very helpful confidence-wise, and I think it showed in my results straight away.

Q. How did you land in the right spot?

ADAM SCOTT: I caught up with kind of my trusted advisor from years of work with him on equipment back in the UK, and a little bit of a heart-to-heart, like Adam, what's going on here, what have you been thinking about, because I've kind of been out there doing it a little bit on my own. Just got everything lined up a little better, and I think over the last couple years, probably undervalued that part of the professional game. Equipment and technology is a big thing. You see it every week, guys working on TrackMan, and that's not really where I've grown up.

Yeah, if I was critical of myself, although intentions being right, I probably didn't manage that as well as I could have, and certainly see the need to be more on top of that going forward.

Q. Was there a certain piece that you sorted out before the two weeks in Scotland?

ADAM SCOTT: I think most notably, like, changing the shafts in my irons was a big one and my driver, as well. Just getting that to match up better with my golf swing made a big difference to the shots and therefore the confidence.

It's tricky when you start testing shafts. There are thousands of options. It's helpful to narrow it down and not get lost in testing, especially in the middle of the year.

Q. Is it even trickier in July than it would be in December?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah. I think in fairness to these guys who are the club fitters, their knowledge is helpful in narrowing it down. That's why I found that so valuable, because I knew it wasn't right, and it's frustrating to play on when it's not quite in the right spot.

It is one of those things, as soon as the iron shafts changed, the first swings, they just felt easy again.

Q. When you say mediocre golf, is it in the scoring or is it in the quality of shots, and I think you're alluding to maybe quality of shots.

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, like I think I can do so much better. I'm a fairly experienced player, know how to score, even on a bad day. I generally think I can get the most out of myself most of the time.

But when you're not striking it well and it's not finishing close to the hole, it's hard to compete out here. I felt like all my shots finished 10 feet further away than they really should.

Q. Have you ever made any changes heading into the Playoffs when it comes to equipment, or was it mainly just in Scotland?

ADAM SCOTT: I actually have -- I did switch to another set of irons this week, but that was always the intention. The turf conditions in Scotland are very different than here, so kind of using the irons that work the best.

Q. The trusted guru, is that Trevor or is this some club sherpa in England?

ADAM SCOTT: I don't know if I should call him a "club sherpa," but yeah, Liam McDougall works for Titleist. I think the thing I would say is we've always kind of -- he talks my language when it comes to technology, and he has a good understanding of how my game has evolved and what my game style is. I think Trevor is a bit of a guru, as well, but when it came down to fitting the stuff, it was with Liam in the UK.

Q. What's the basic gist of how the shafts are different?

ADAM SCOTT: I guess they're a different profile and slightly different weight. What they encourage or promote in the swing is a little different. If my tendency is to go to the right, and if the shaft is promoting more right, then you're in a bit of a fight. You're going right. After a while you start fighting that, and it can throw your swing off a little bit. So it's kind of balancing it all out.

Q. Did you sense any stick last year for having so many exemptions to the Signature Events?

ADAM SCOTT: This year?

Q. Yeah, feels like last year.

ADAM SCOTT: I think I had five of eight maybe. Earlier in the year it seemed to get a bit of beat-up in the media and some guys were unhappy, I guess, that it seemed like the board members were getting the exemptions. But I just have the comment that it's up to the tournament. They're exemptions for the tournament. They can invite who they like.

I was not unhappy when I didn't get exemptions, either. That's the position you're in.

Q. How much would it be on your mind to push through to BMW, for what it stands for?

ADAM SCOTT: For everyone that's incredibly important. I think if you ask anyone who is in that top 50 this year, I think they can play a great schedule with great opportunity, and it's much easier to plan a schedule. Speaking for me, of course the idea that I want to peak perform at THE PLAYERS and at the majors, and if you know you're in an event, you can make it easier to work your schedule than if you play good in a swing and then get in another way. You're adding events, and of course you don't want to miss Signature Events if you get the opportunity to play them.

But just being in control of your schedule I think is the most important, if you're considering trying to challenge for the big events and challenge for the FedExCup.

Q. Kind of along the same lines of equipment, what is your primary swing thought right now?

ADAM SCOTT: Right now, my primary swing thought, I guess, is to kind of stay left arm connected off the ball.

Q. Xander and Scottie have both had successful years this year. If you had to choose a year of theirs to have, which one would you choose out of their two? What do you value more and why?

ADAM SCOTT: It's a tough one. I'd pick Xander's year because I'm interested -- I think two majors is incredible.

But if you picked me to vote on the Player of the Year today, I'd probably vote for Scottie. I don't know if that even makes sense, but it's a strange situation, these two guys playing so well.

Q. We had this conversation probably in about '05, '06 when Tiger was going at a quite significant level, and it became a question for other players and I think you were probably among them, whether you aspired to be No. 1 in the world, how hopeless it may seem. Do you get the sense Xander could be feeling that? Are we seeing that play out again?

ADAM SCOTT: It might be a little early to have that kind of direct comparison to what was going on back in '05. Tiger had been at a clip for six years there. It's fair to say Scottie has been at a pretty good clip the last two years, so he's well on his way. I think it's remarkable what he's doing. I don't think Xander should give up hope just yet, though. I think he's got it in him.