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WGC BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL

August 4, 2011

Adam Scott

AKRON, OHIO

MARK STEVENS: We'd like to welcome Adam Scott, an impressive 62 here today at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational. Give us your thoughts on your round.
ADAM SCOTT: I played extremely solid today. The first 15 holes, I struck the ball beautifully and drove it in the rough the last three holes. But other than that, I mean, everything was right in the spot where I wanted it. Conditions were perfect for scoring. There were so many good scores out here today. Probably not what we're used to seeing around this course, so it was good to take advantage of that.

Q. You hit the ball great on the range today, especially your driver. Was that the key or did you feel good going in?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I feel like I've been swinging well since Aronimink. It's tricky at the Open to get good results out of good shots sometimes. I felt good warming up today; you saw that. And just took that out on the course. But my whole intention this week was as long as I was feeling really good with my swing was to be aggressive right from the start and put myself in the tournament from Thursday and not have to kind of chase from Friday and Saturday onwards just to get into it. I want to be amongst this for the next three days.

Q. We spoke about you wanting to go out hard from the gate. When you saw Jason's 7-under, you figured, let's go, it's there?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I was surprised. I actually saw that when I got on the first tee because there was a leaderboard right there, and I thought 7-under was pretty low. But you know, there were so many other good scores. I knew if I could play well and get that putter going today, there was a good score out there for me.

Q. Do you normally -- how often do you stand on the gas pedal right off the first tee? Is that a fairly rare thing versus kind of picking your spots?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I think I've done it less in the last few years than I did a long time ago. I just feel like I need to get myself in these things from Thursday, show up and go, not show up and see how you get on the first nine. Just get out there and get right into it. I feel like that's a good way for me to go because I'm hitting the ball well, and I feel really confident on the greens. If I go for it and mess up, hopefully I can save myself. But today felt good. It was green light and just attack.

Q. At what point did you get a key reading or piece of advice from Stevie?
ADAM SCOTT: Today? I don't know, he just seems to have a lot of good rounds in him around this place, that's for sure. (Laughter.) He didn't think it was a big deal to shoot 62. It was normal. (Laughter.)

Q. Just to follow that up a little bit, obviously with Tiger he's had such great success here. Did you feel any of that sort of rubbing off? I know you're joking about that, but the confidence that he has around here?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I've said a couple times already about Steve, I think he really understands how to manage a game well around the golf course. That was one of the first things that was really obvious to me. But also, he's got a few little notes in his yardage book about breaks on greens and stuff like that, so he has a really great knowledge of this golf course for sure.

Q. I'm trying to think off the top of my head, I know you had one really strong finish here not too long ago. What's been your experience and opinion of this place over the years, and is it a type of a course that suits you?
ADAM SCOTT: I think it should suit me. I mean, I think it's frustrated me over the years, probably for whatever reason haven't played my best. But I've had some good rounds. I think I finished in the top 10 last year and had a 63 on the Thursday or Friday one year, so I think it does suit my game. But for whatever reason, whether it was putting, the greens were always normally fast and pretty tricky here, and if you're not confident with the putter, then it can really get to you. But it's always played fairly tough, this golf course, I think, and if you're not quite on, it's quite penal.

Q. I ask this because we've had some revelations of the permanence of now Stevie with you and no longer with Tiger and some reports on how it all went down, et cetera. Have you ever talked to Tiger about this, and have you seen him, and is it awkward?
ADAM SCOTT: I haven't seen him this week yet, no. I saw him at Aronimink, but I had no idea that it was going down like that. No, I haven't seen him yet. I don't think it should be awkward. I mean, this kind of thing happens on the TOUR. It happens a lot every year with everyone, and just because it's Tiger and Steve, I'm not going to treat it like it's anything different than anyone else going through this. I hope it's not going to be awkward. I don't have a problem, but if he has a problem, then he can definitely tell me.

Q. I don't think he does.
ADAM SCOTT: That's fine then. Then we should be good.

Q. In what phase of the putting does the long one help you the most? Is it the short ones, the long ones? Do you sacrifice any feel with it in order to find a truer line? As you sort of got six months with that thing, what have you experienced with it?
ADAM SCOTT: Look, it's helped me so much from ten feet and in, a huge amount.

Q. Seems like it.
ADAM SCOTT: Absolutely. I hole out the ball so much better this year. I was a little concerned about the feel issue, but I don't think it's been a big deal because I'm holing the ball out better. I'm not too worried about a four-footer coming back or leaving a four-footer short because I feel like I'm going to make that one. But in saying that, I haven't holed as many 25-foot-plus putts. Today I did, but you know, it's a work in progress. I feel very comfortable. I can't complain about any area of it, really.

Q. Are there specific examples out there today as to how the course played much easier than it usually does? And if it dries out, how much tougher can it be this weekend?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, the fairways were soft, so balls were kind of stopping if you landed them in the fairway and they weren't running into the rough. You know, and the greens were still pretty moist, as well, so they were holding nicely, too. You could fly it right to the hole, and that's something that can get a bit dangerous around here if the greens are firm. It needs to dry out to play tough for sure.

Q. You said on TV that Stevie wants to push you, and I'm wondering how that manifests itself. Is it something verbal? Is it something else in the player/caddie dynamic? How does he do that?
ADAM SCOTT: No, I think he just wants to bring a good energy toward me. I think he believes in my game, that I can be one of the best players in the world. You know, I think he thinks he can help me achieve that, and I believe that, too. So it's just a positive energy and just good motivation. Everything is very positive and confident with Steve so far, and you know, that's hopefully rubbing off on me.

Q. Was Tony kind of less of a cheerleader type? I don't know if that's what you just said, but sounds like Steve with the positive reinforcement and those type of things.
ADAM SCOTT: Well, just a very positive attitude. That's how it is at the start of -- everyone is happy to start working together. There's a big reason for that. It's like a little honeymoon period. But you know, he's given me a lot of insight into my game from his perspective, and that's been appreciated. I think he knows a lot about it.
No, Tony was absolutely 100 percent behind me, but like I said before, we just had our time. A lot of good times, too.

Q. Did you feel today that there might have been some of this motivation from Steve? I know obviously that he and Tiger, this is the first time Tiger has played since they've split. Did you feel there was that little bit of motivation from him for you to play well today?
ADAM SCOTT: Maybe, but I think he just -- I think he thinks I'm playing well. He just wants to get me going, wants to get me playing like this more often. Yeah, I'm sure he feels good about today (smiling).

Q. What's he said to you about what kind of player he thinks you can be? I imagine you've had that conversation and he's told you he thinks you've got another gear?
ADAM SCOTT: Absolutely, yeah. He's been very honest with me what he thinks of my game.

Q. Really?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, absolutely.

Q. How so?
ADAM SCOTT: Well, he thinks I can be as good a player as I want to be, but he's adamant that you've got to put the work in and I think he sees that I am putting the work in. Been a big refocus over the last year or so in my game, doing a lot of things I need to do to become better. It's all a bit of a process, but slowly and surely I think I'm seeing glimpses of it. Augusta was one, and certainly with the putting it's a big hurdle to overcome and putt nicely again. It makes going to the golf course nice. But he's fairly blunt in his assessment of my chipping, but I'm going to work on it.

Q. Who's more blunt, him or Butch back in the day?
ADAM SCOTT: It would be -- there's a lot of bluntness going on there. I'm sure they've had some interesting conversations.

Q. Steve has been in the eye of the storm for a couple weeks. How has he dealt with that?
ADAM SCOTT: You know, I don't really know. I mean, he's -- I don't know what he's been up to the last couple weeks.

Q. He's had a lot of interviews and he's had comments --
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, to be honest, I haven't really been following it. I don't really care. It's not my business. And until it really has an effect on me and how I'm going to play, then I'm not going to -- he's dealing with it the way he wants to deal with it. He's a big boy. He can handle it.

Q. Pretty glad to have him, I am guessing? If you ask his peers, they seem to rank him if not at the top then right in there.
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, absolutely. It's been a fortunate situation for me, I think, and I'd like to take advantage of that. But you know, I've been very impressed with the way he caddies. He's very professional, and that's what I'm looking for in a guy out there.

Q. Back to your golf, you mentioned you want the foot on the pedal from the start. You're in front. Is that the continued focus, on the throat from this point of the tournament on?
ADAM SCOTT: No, you've just got to judge the conditions a little bit. If it gets tough, then I might have to hold back a little bit. But if it's again like this tomorrow and I'm feeling good, I'm going to keep going.
I feel like Jason probably will, and if not him, someone else will, too. Everyone is playing pretty good, it seems. You know, if it's like this the next four days, it's going to be low scoring around here and I'm going to have to get on the gas.
MARK STEVENS: Thanks a lot, and good luck this week.

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