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THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 5, 2006

Adam Scott

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Final Round

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Adam Scott, congratulations on winning the TOUR Championship presented by Coca Cola for your fourth official PGA TOUR victory. Had some players chasing you today, most notably Jim Furyk, but you came through with a 66. Great round of golf, and congratulations. Maybe some opening comments.

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, it was a great day for me today. It's been a long time since I've been here, winning on the PGA TOUR anyway. You know, I had to work hard for it. I knew it was going to be tough and I knew someone would come at me, and I few guys did: Joe and Jim.

I saw that on the seventh, that they got some momentum going. That's when I had to step it up, and fortunately for me my putts were on line today.

Q. Jim touched on saying that next year there's going to be a lot more buzz with this tournament, and part of that buzz comes along with a $10 million check. Any regret that this maybe didn't happen next year?

ADAM SCOTT: Well, I think that's on the year long performance and I wouldn't have got it anyway. No, I'm just going to go for it next year. Why not? It'll be exciting, though, if it all comes down to it this week.

Q. Furyk just indicated that next year's championship he feels will be a lot better, and quote unquote, his exact words is that "it has to be." Other than the obvious time of the year that it's going to be held, what do you think the changes will be for there to be a buzz with the media?

ADAM SCOTT: Well, I think the FedEx Cup points race should hopefully conclude here and have a lot of guys vying for that final prize of probably not only winning here but also winning the FedEx Cup and that $10 million. You know, I'm sure that will create a fair bit of buzz amongst the golfing world.

Q. On the front side, did you make an adjustments going to the back side? You straightened out quite a bit on the back.

ADAM SCOTT: No, I think I just got aiming right. I think on 4 and 5 I was aiming right, and I think I was aiming a bit too far right because I didn't make that bad a swing. But when I looked up it was coming out right of where I was looking. I just checked my aim out.

I drove it okay today, not as well as I have but okay.

Q. The third hole, could you talk about the significance of that given Vijay's opening birdie and then hitting it fairly stiff?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, it was important for me to get out and get in the red early because I needed to go in the right direction. Actually couldn't believe how far my drive went up there. It got too close and I couldn't get enough spin on the ball to stop it.

But that's where I got a good feel for the putt, because I hit a nice putt there and it went right in the middle and kind of got my eye in. Luckily for me, it looked like Vijay missed it because he looked like he might be a real strong challenger early on.

Q. Secondly, Jim talked about I think he said it was '97 he finished third on fourth a bunch of times, no wins. He talked about the difference of having a good consistent year with no wins and how much a win means. I wonder if you could speak to that.

ADAM SCOTT: It really does make a big difference. I feel like all the hard work and everything I've put into it has actually paid off and I haven't come up short. I was pretty determined to finish it off today coming out here, and didn't want to throw away this opportunity as well as some others I had done earlier in the year.

You know, Christmas is going to be great, and obviously going to Mercedes I'm going to be a lot happier starting there than somewhere else later in the year.

Q. I think your words yesterday were you wanted to knock the tournament down. Do you feel like you did that, kind of kept the guys at bay, especially maybe 9, 10 and then the big shot on 13?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I think 9 and 10 were huge for me. Birdieing 10 was definitely stealing one today. Driver, 4 iron was a pretty strong hole.

You know, I kept them at bay. I don't think I knocked them out of the tournament or anything, because even coming down 14 and having 15 there, they were within three or four, and an eagle on 15 can change everything as we saw yesterday with me.

At that point I was still really focused on staying well out in front. I think I got a good break. I don't think either of them birdied 15. That made it a little easier coming in for me.

Q. What about the shot on 13?

ADAM SCOTT: 13, yeah. It was a timely shot, I guess (laughter). I felt like I was going to get it up and down anyway, but it was obviously a great break for it to go in.

Q. I was going to ask about 13. How difficult was that shot? Were you just trying to get it close there?

ADAM SCOTT: I thought I could get it close. I didn't think it was a really difficult shot. I was on a little up slope in the bunker, and although I didn't have much green, I thought I could really swing through it and get some spin on it. I thought it would be close, and I hit a good shot and luckily the hole got in the way.

Q. Joe Durant said when he heard the roar, he felt it was game, set, and match. Did you feel that way?

ADAM SCOTT: Well, I felt pretty good about myself at the time (laughter). But like I said, 15 is a big swing hole, and a 3 to a 5 or a 3 to a 6 if I do something stupid there would be a big swing in the tournament.

Like I said, after I got through 15 I felt like I just have to grind hard, and I should have this.

Q. How much pressure did you feel taking a three shot lead into the final round? When did you know it was going to be a good day for you? And how does this rate in the scheme of things?

ADAM SCOTT: I felt like I had a little bit of pressure on myself. Maybe some people expected me to win today, I don't know. But I certainly expected myself to win today, and that's all the pressure that anyone needs.

I put a little bit of pressure on myself, but I was determined to win. I'd say around the 7th, 8th, and 9th hole I felt like my game was really great. And no matter what anyone threw at me, I could give them a run today.

Q. And in the scheme of things?

ADAM SCOTT: Well, I think it's an important win. Not only is it a big event for the PGA TOUR, but it's been a while since I've won an event in the States. I want to get in the habit of winning them a little more frequently. Hopefully this is a start.

Q. How many wins do you have?

ADAM SCOTT: Four or four and a half, five.

Q. Can you talk about 17? Just walk us through 17. You're coming off your only bogey and

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, bad swing off the tee. I kind of chickened out and didn't want to hit it right in the traps. I thought it was the only place I didn't want to go, and I just gave it a little too much right hand.

I thought I hit a good shot out of the trees, but obviously it didn't come out how it felt and wasn't in a really great spot and hit an average pitch. But like I said, I felt good with the putter. I had a couple putts on the back nine that lipped out that I thought were in.

It was really nice to make that one, because a three shot lead going up the last is a lot better than a two shot lead.

Q. Did you have a real good feel for that line?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I did. I had a good feel and I had a good feel for the pace. I knew it was pretty fast down there. The greens were getting pretty firm. It was cold and they were rolling. It did have a good feel for me.

Q. It seemed like the whole week you had a good feel on the greens. You made eight footers and ten footers for par, and obviously the long one on 17. Is it true you felt confident all week with the flat stick?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I did, but I was grinding hard. Especially like you said for the par putts. After the Open and the PGA this year, I sat back and looked at some numbers. I make as many birdies as the winner every week, but for some reason I'm not winning because I make too many bogeys.

Since the PGA I've been grinding hard to not drop shots. I did that well this week.

Q. People start talking about the 2007 season, talk about guys to look out for, and you're going to be on the top of that list coming off of this win. Are you comfortable with that, being one of the two or three people to have a big year next year?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, that feels great. I think I've come a long way this year as far as a lot of things go. My game in itself has come a long way, but I think maybe I've come a long way in some other players' minds, and that's nice.

You know, it's certainly nice to have the respect of your peers for your playing abilities.

Q. Do you think at all about being No. 1 some day? I mean, you're still a pup out here compared to most of these guys, even though you've had obviously a few years under your belt. Is that something that's realistic?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I think it is. I mean, yeah, that's what I'm one day hopefully going to get to is No. 1. It might take a while, but I think if I was to be No. 1 in the world at some point in my career, then I think that would be maybe the best achievement I could ever do in golf is get past Tiger Woods.

Q. You talked the other day about your goal for being there just about every week, with the consistency. Where do you go next year? Do you lock in more on the majors, which still seems to be a bit of a gap, I guess, in your credentials right now?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I guess so. My last two majors were really positive signs for me, and I'm happy with that. But I think just this consistent play will get me there in a major.

I'm starting to feel more like they're just any other event, which I think is something it took me a while to get over that whole "major." It's hard and I'm not meant to be here.

Q. You'd psych yourself out?

ADAM SCOTT: A little bit, yeah. I played too defensive for too many years in majors and didn't trust my game, and my results at the Open and the PGA were positive this year. I'm looking forward to majors next year but obviously want to get off to an early start and get some wins up.

Q. Butch said that it's his opinion that you seem to actually play more aggressively when you're out front and you have the lead, which seems completely backwards as most guys are tentative and kind of helping the ball around the golf course. Do you have an explanation for that?

ADAM SCOTT: Well, I kind of said it yesterday. When I'm out in front I'm obviously playing pretty well. I try and play an aggressive style of golf. I think that's my natural style of golf.

But when you're playing well, you feel like there's nothing really that you can't do out on the course. Maybe that's part of it. You know, I feel comfortable. I'm just going to hit the shot I see.

I certainly don't think about things too much out there. I don't give myself the time to do that. I just hit the shot that I see, and most of the time it's a pretty aggressive shot.

Q. You said at times maybe you psych yourself out a little bit. When you come off the bogey on 16 and the drive on 17 and you've got a three shot lead but you're not in the best position, do thoughts at all go back to THE PLAYERS in '04 and 18, what happened?

ADAM SCOTT: No, there's no water in play on 17 and 18 (laughter).

I was glad to get over there on the left at 17 and see I had a swing and a shot. That's all I wanted. I just didn't want to be right up against the tree. I was pretty happy with that, and even though it didn't really come out how I thought it would, I was still in good shape. I thought I could get it done with a three shot lead from there with no water in play.

Q. Can you talk about what Butch has meant to your game this year and what he's brought to you?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, well, we worked really hard this year. He knows that I wanted to step it up, and I think we have. We've got my swing in a spot now where I think it's a lot more consistent, as well as everything else in my game.

I think it's great for him, also, to see me win this week because he feels like he probably accomplished something, as well, with me. It's got to be very gratifying for him to see that.

Q. You are 4 in the world right now with a chance to get to 3, depending on how it goes in China and wherever else you're going. Do you feel like the 3 or 4 player in the world?

ADAM SCOTT: I don't know. It's a little strange, really. I mean, it's nice. If I was ending the year without a win, I really don't feel like it. But I think winning, you can't be that 3 or 4 player in the world without winning tournaments. That shouldn't happen. You know, I feel more comfortable in that position seeing I've won an event.

Q. Singapore was your win this year?

ADAM SCOTT: I won Singapore, yeah.

Q. How much was it bugging you not closing for a while until today? Was it gnawing at you?

ADAM SCOTT: Well, it was annoying because in the past I'd closed really well. I don't know what it was, but I looked back on it and I thought I was a little bit too almost too relaxed and out there and really not focused enough.

At the Byron Nelson, for example, I think I just kind of waited and waited for it to happen, and it never really did. That's when I sat back and realized, you know, I can't do that out here. There are too many good players and too many guys coming out making birdies.

You know, I tried really hard to stay focused like I had in every other round.

Q. When you look back on it, do you think in your head you'll go, One of my worst shots of the week was what won me the tournament ?

ADAM SCOTT: I don't know. I mean, it's just one shot. But it was nice it worked out well. I don't know if it won me the tournament, but it certainly put me in a good position to win it. You know, I guess it wasn't that bad, it was just a couple grooves from where I was trying to hit it (smiling).

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Adam Scott, congratulations.

End of FastScripts.

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