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THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 16, 2008

Adam Scott

SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND

BERNIE McGUIRE: Adam, thanks for joining us here in the pressroom. You haven't played well at Birkdale before, but I know you're well aware of the success Australians have had on this course.
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I guess that's a bit of a coincidence, but certainly Peter winning twice here and Finchy winning here, hopefully the trend continues this week.

Q. Could you paint a picture for me of the wind at its worst today?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I mean, the first -- I think the first tee shot is almost the toughest because that fairway is pretty hard to hit with it blowing straight out of the left. I mean, the wind is affecting the ball 20, 30, 40 yards at times. It's hard at the best of times.
But the course is set up very difficult, as well. I think the rough is quite long. Fortunately it's green, so it's not so firm that it's unplayable. I think they've got it at a very fair test at the moment.
You know, I think no matter what the weather conditions are, it'll play well this week.

Q. How strongly do you rate your chances this week?
ADAM SCOTT: I feel like I'm playing all right. I haven't played much in the last couple months. Last week was a good hit out for me. Unfortunately I struggled with my swing a little last week and managed to get myself in contention, but it didn't quite hold up.
I've been doing a little bit of work with Butch this week. I feel better about that. I feel like my chances are good any week I play. I feel like I've been playing pretty consistently for a long time now. It's just a matter of putting four rounds together, and I feel I haven't done that as much as I would have liked this year.
But it could be this week. It's tough to say. With a wind like this, it's going to require a lot of patience, but you're also going to have to stroke the ball very well.

Q. What would winning the Open mean to you?
ADAM SCOTT: I mean, it's a lot of things. It kind of justifies all the hard work that I've put in over the years. You know, it's a dream come true to win a major. I think you can't put one major in front of another, but there is certainly something special about the Open. It's the only major outside of the States, and probably for me as a kid, seeing the guys I looked up to have success in the Open when I was growing up, there's certainly a special meaning to the Open to me, yeah.

Q. You probably heard by now that only Americans and Aussies have won the past British Opens here. I'm wondering if you've got any theory on that. Is it maybe less linksy than some of the others? I know maybe the fairways are flatter and you get less crazy bounces so maybe that's what the Americans and Aussies are used to from playing PGA TOUR style courses?
ADAM SCOTT: No, I can't -- I think it's just a coincidence. It's certainly not less linksy. I think Birkdale is one of the best courses on the Open roster.

Q. What do you like about it?
ADAM SCOTT: I think the holes -- some of the links golf courses are a little quirky because they're so old, and this is certainly a golf course that's a little more defined than a typical links course, I guess, probably because it's set in amongst the sand dunes and the holes play in between the dunes. And I think it's just a great design, a great test of golf. You know, it's just a good golf course.

Q. I know you wouldn't have played the 17th green in its previous form, but do you have any worries or concerns about the new green this week? There's been quite a lot said about it.
ADAM SCOTT: Well, I don't have any worries or concerns. It's not the best green I've ever seen, but it doesn't worry or concern me. Everyone is going to play it. It stands out because it doesn't really look like the greens on the rest of the golf course.

Q. How did the connection with Preston Golf Club come around, one of the local courses? How did that originate?
ADAM SCOTT: My father's cousin is from Preston. We have family up here. You know, they're just close family and he's a member at Preston, so we decided to do something at Preston Golf Club.

Q. They sponsor the Adam Scott trophy? I know you've got some connection with that.
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, it was something that he mentioned to us, could I do something like that, and I thought it would be a great idea.

Q. You've played the course down there?
ADAM SCOTT: I have once, yeah.

Q. That was in 2000, was it?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, it was a while ago. I hit a few balls there, as well, practising one day.

Q. Is he here this week?
ADAM SCOTT: I saw him today, but working the rest of the week, I'm not sure if he's going to get down again.

Q. You probably addressed this ad nauseam last week, but your wrist is okay and no more car doors in your future?
ADAM SCOTT: No, it's fine. It doesn't really affect --

Q. Or your hand, I'm sorry.
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, it's been incredible that I played the U.S. Open, really. It didn't have any effect other than the time it was swelling up a lot. It's fine, yeah, it should be no problem at all.
BERNIE McGUIRE: Thanks for joining us, and very best of luck this week.

End of FastScripts

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