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DEUTSCHE BANK CHAMPIONSHIP

August 28, 2008

Adam Scott

NORTON, MASSACHUSETTS

JOHN BUSH: We'd like to welcome Adam Scott into the interview room here at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Adam, thanks for coming by and spending a few minutes with us. Currently 47th in the FedExCup standings, and you're returning to a place where you've obviously had a lot of success with your first professional PGA TOUR win here in '03 and then a runner-up in 2004, so just comment on the state of your game.
ADAM SCOTT: It's pretty ordinary, actually, to be honest with you (smiling). It's a bit erratic. I've been working hard on my swing but just struggling to put it together. You know, some days have been good and my golf has been inconsistent, as you can see by my scores the last few weeks. But just trying to work through it and hopefully put together a good week, good four days this week.

Q. Have they come to the root cause of the throat issue? I guess that continues to pop up for you intermittently.
ADAM SCOTT: I haven't gone back home to Australia to see my doctor there, but a couple of doctors that have looked at it think it sounds like recurring tonsillitis, but I'll wait until I get home to Australia to see my doctor there.

Q. How has that impacted your year, if at all? I know you had a withdrawal and at Wachovia you were not feeling too good. Didn't you go through one span where you couldn't eat for a day or two, it was so swollen?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, Houston was where I withdrew. It was the worst there, and then Akron it was also bad. Yeah, I mean, I've had a pretty crazy six months, I guess, with that recurring and then breaking my hand. I mean, it's not been ideal since March, really.
You know, got to deal with a few different issues here and there, but hopefully get on top of it before next year.

Q. Talk about the before and after of what the 4th hole was and now is. I guess it hasn't always been a drivable par-4, and now it's kind of one of those holes where you can make anywhere from a 2 to a 6 and whether you like this sort of migration towards the drivable par-4s that we're beginning to see.
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I think it's definitely an improvement on the old hole. You know, I like the drivable aspect of it, but I think the layout doesn't really leave you much at all. I mean, it leaves you a wedge, but you're not really hitting it much. You're hitting it onto a downslope, and I'm not quite sure that the fairway is far enough right for that kind of hole. Although you shouldn't have an easy wedge, but I still think a wedge is pretty hard to hit the green with there.
I like the hole, and I think it was just a 3-wood to get it to the green today, so you should be able to take it on. But you're going to have to still work hard around the green for a birdie.
I think it's pretty fair in the risk and reward category of these short, drivable par-4s. The 10th at Riviera is a great hole, and that's pretty hard to hit with a wedge, as well. But I think this one is pretty severe.

Q. Given the way the season has unfolded, does it change what you might do October, November, December, playing? Is it first priority of business to get healthy?
ADAM SCOTT: Well, I've got all of October off, so hopefully a month of rest and perhaps, if anything, medical-wise needs to happen I can get it done in October and rest up and play my couple events, one in Singapore and a couple in Australia at the end of the year would be nice. But if I can't, the main goal is to be healthy by next year and try and have a little smoother ride through the year.

Q. Some people have speculated that all the international traveling you're doing has helped keep you run down. Do you buy into that, and is that something you might look at?
ADAM SCOTT: No, I don't think it has at all. There's been a few other personal things going on this year that I think has contributed to it. You know, there was a little more international travel this year because of that kind of stuff and also because when I broke my hand I flew home to Australia to see a specialist from London.
Yeah, I mean, this year there's been a lot going on, and I think that's contributed to it. But just from playing schedule-wise, it hasn't been too bad at all.

Q. You sound like you put a lot of trust in the American medical system.
ADAM SCOTT: You know, Australian medicine is as good as anywhere in the world, I believe. I was in London when I broke my hand, and I didn't like the assessment I got from the hand specialist there, so I went home to see a guy who I knew had worked with sportsmen and knew how to deal with sports injuries. It was a good move because I liked his prognosis better.

Q. Is your finger still longer, or is it the same size again?
ADAM SCOTT: No, it's shorter. But you won't notice it too much, not in the swing anyway.

Q. How many weeks did that actually affect you? I know at the U.S. Open you were shaking hands left-handed and trying to protect it.
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, you know, it was not healed at all. It had only been broken three weeks when I was at the U.S. Open. They told me to take three weeks off after it to make sure it heals properly. It was still really swollen at the U.S. Open, but for some reason it didn't really affect me swinging the club at all. But yeah, it's fully healed now. It doesn't swell up. It's fine. It seems strong.

Q. Do you have a pretty good feel for the FedExCup standings? Would you have thought you would be where you are right now?
ADAM SCOTT: I didn't think I'd drop that much, but I can see everyone who missed the cut dropped a lot. Better try not to do that again. But yeah, I mean, I don't know if it's -- it's more volatile, that's for sure, and that's what they were looking for. It might be a little too extreme.

Q. Have you been following the rest of the European Ryder Cup team?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, well, I haven't seen the results after last week. I know who did what, but I haven't seen the list. It must be pretty close, and Faldo must have a few tough decisions coming up, I'm sure.

Q. You're pretty tight with Poulter, right?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah.

Q. He was just in, animated by even his own high standards, denying that he's been promised a pick and all that sort of stuff. Do you see the desire of these guys to make the team? Is that something that you see on the American team or the international team or anything else? It seems unique.
ADAM SCOTT: You mean you're questioning Poulter's desire because he's here?

Q. No, all of them. They seem to have -- it seems to be the only thing they're playing for.
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, well, I guess it is. You know, it's a big deal certainly for the Europeans from when I played over there. It for a long time has been the biggest event for the European Tour. The Tour financially gains so much out of that that the Tour ran on it for a couple years every time they hosted it.
It is a big deal from that side of things and from the players. It's got the history, and in that sense it's more important to those guys than The Presidents Cup I'd say. But yeah, pretty much, it's the only thing they think about come this time of year. Once the PGA is over, I'm sure they're just thinking about the Ryder Cup.

Q. As kind of an impartial observer who's lived in Europe, why do you suppose -- it's a big event here among the American sporting public, but over there it still seems like it's three gears higher. Why do you suppose that is, if you agree with that assessment, maybe just because they're winning?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, certainly for Great Britain and Ireland it is a big sporting event to the public, absolutely. I don't know so much in the continent of Europe. I mean, golf is not a big sport in that sense in the continent. It's growing, but obviously football, soccer, is a big deal. I think it's bigger in America.
I don't know, there are obviously enough golf fans over there that get right into it. I mean, I think it's one of the great sporting events of the world, just forgetting golf. It might be even bigger than just golf. You attract people from outside the game into the Ryder Cup.

Q. Who would Captain Scott pick?
ADAM SCOTT: For?

Q. Europe. Who would you round out your team with right now?
ADAM SCOTT: In Europe? Is Darren in after last week?

Q. No.
ADAM SCOTT: Well, I'd pick Darren from an experience point of view, and current form point of view, I think he's a great pick. I know because I'm a member at his club how hard he's worked to get back to where he is. I'd definitely pick Darren. Who else is now not in?

Q. Poulter, Casey, Monty, McGinley.
ADAM SCOTT: I mean, Poulter is a good -- they're all good picks. I don't think Faldo can go wrong. I mean, Poulter is a guy who likes the pressure, kind of thrives off it. You know, that's certainly something going for him. He played one Ryder Cup, I think, and he won his singles in that, I know. It was a winning team, and he performed well. I mean, I wouldn't -- he's not a bad pick, either. There aren't bad picks.
Faldo is in a tough position but a good one. He's got some good names to pick from.

Q. You said you've seen how hard Clarke is working. How hard is he working? What have you seen?
ADAM SCOTT: Just devoting himself back to golf. You know, obviously he went through some tough times, and he went from one of the top 10, 20 players in the world to wherever he went. It's not easy to come back from that. Playing average for a year takes its toll I'd say, and he just devoted himself back to golf and put in the hours at the golf course practicing. So he's now kind of reaping the rewards. He's won twice this year.

Q. He seems to have a public image of a guy who enjoys life and may be carrying a few pounds and that, but does that belie a fierce inner desire that you guys see?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I think so. I think everyone has their ups and downs and that desire can change, but yeah, I've certainly seen Darren have that desire to be one of the top players in the world again. I mean, he's such a talented golfer. Sure, he has a good time and he enjoys life, but that's part of his makeup, as well, but he also puts in the hard work.

Q. Can you stay neutral even with your caddie involved?
ADAM SCOTT: Can I? Neutral? Yeah, sure. Actually it will be good that Tony is going to be there. I'll definitely watch a little more of it now.

Q. But even with him involved, are you still neutral?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I mean, I don't really mind who wins the thing. I mean, I think it's a fun event to watch because I know the guys, so I feel for them out there. It's a lot of pressure.
JOHN BUSH: Adam, thank you, and play well this week.

End of FastScripts

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