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April 2, 2008
HUMBLE, TEXAS
JOHN BUSH: We'll get started. We'd like to welcome our defending champion here at the Shell Houston Open. Adam, thanks for coming and spending a few minutes with us.
Get you to just look back to last year, 3-stroke win but quite dramatic there on the the last hole and just talk a little bit about that 48-foot putt that you made in getting the win here in Houston.
ADAM SCOTT: It was a very strange finish for a golf tournament. It's not often you lead by 1 and hit in the water and lead by 3. You know, I think I was pretty lucky.
You know, I played really solid over the weekend, if I remember. I didn't make a bogey in the last 36 and, you know, rolling in a 50-footer to win the tournament is kind of winner's luck. That kind of stuff happens. It was a fun way to finish the tournament. I was pretty relieved just to get it done at that point.
JOHN BUSH: More Australians have won the Shell Houston Open than any other PGA Tour event. Can you pinpoint why the Aussies have so much success here?
ADAM SCOTT: Well, I think I know Robert won at the Woodlands once. I'm not sure if Stuart did as well. That's a golf course somewhat similar to Australian golf courses, but then Stuart has won here and I've won here as well. It's hard to pinpoint when those kind of things happen, but, you know, I think the courses are somewhat similar to what we find in Australia.
JOHN BUSH: Talk a little bit about your game heading into this week.
ADAM SCOTT: Game feels alright. Played really well at Doral except for Sunday and Monday. Coming back from the rain delay, I struggled but, you know, I was up there for three rounds of the tournament. I was right in contention. The game is in good shape. I feel fairly confident with it. And after getting a full round in today, familiarizing with the course again, you know, I like the way it's set up and, you know, I'm looking forward to getting in contention here and taking a bit of form into Augusta.
JOHN BUSH: Questions.
Q. Adam, I was asking Phil about the quality of the field. He said he hadn't really looked at who all is here. You're familiar with what was here last year and this year. How would you compare this year's field?
ADAM SCOTT: Well, I guess it's a little bit stronger, I'd say. Padraig, he played last year. Obviously he won the Open in between. Phil is here this year. I'm not sure he played last year.
You know, I saw Ernie was meant to play, but I think, you know, the word got around after last year's event of the quality of the golf course and the condition and the way they set it up. Certainly could have changed some guy's minds on playing here the week before Augusta.
Q. You were one of the ones who were really complimentary of the course conditions. Is it as good or equal to what it was last year?
ADAM SCOTT: As good, and probably the greens are a little better this year. I think they've got the option to cut them down short if they want. Seems like they've got a lot of coverage. Hopefully we'll get a dry week and the course plays challenging like it did the first two rounds last year with a bit of wind and dry. 6-under was leading through 2. So that's the kind of the test that we're looking for.
Q. How dramatically different was that from the jump from when it was dry and windy to when the course softened up a bit?
ADAM SCOTT: Bit of a free for all on the weekend, everyone going low. I think Bubba Watson was 10- at one point in his third round.
You know, it was a big change. That happens everywhere. As soon as the course gets soft, guys tear it apart.
Q. Adam, how much will you draw on last year's experience this year?
ADAM SCOTT: You can always draw off of a win, come back. Just the confidence you've succeeded on the course, and, you know, I'll try and take that confidence out there with me tomorrow and get off to a quick start and get myself right in the tournament.
Q. Adam, you won this last year. You had that great win in a couple weeks ago. How important is it for your confidence to win before you sort of head to Augusta?
ADAM SCOTT: It's definitely a bonus. You know, Qatar was a couple months ago. I'm kind of not living off that anymore but Doral, it was close. It was a round away from being really good and, you know, keep focus for four days here, I feel like my game is good enough to have a chance, and I think that's what I need. I need four good rounds here just to go into the Masters full of confidence.
Q. Adam, if you hadn't won here last year, say you hadn't finished -- finished middle of the pack or so, would you have come back? Would the course have convinced you to come back?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I think so. You know, I was saying yesterday, you know, I think it's always nicer to play courses in perfect condition. It's a pleasure to play, and this may have been the best conditioned golf course of the year last year.
So that would have definitely convinced me to come back.
Q. What kind of talk was there on Tour? Like do y'all talk about what courses are best conditioned, you know, what kind -- y'all gossip about it?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, there is. Ernie asked me how this golf course was this week, and, you know, I obviously only had good things to say about it. Obviously not good enough because he's not here, but he was entered in the field, I believe. So, you know, guys definitely talk about it, and if you're not there, you need to get feedback on it. And certainly if you're asking guys that are your friends or guys you know quite well, then you can get a pretty good feel of whether it's a course that suits you or not.
JOHN BUSH: Anything else? Alright. Adam, thank you. Play well this week.
ADAM SCOTT: Okay. Thanks.
End of FastScripts
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