Pacific Padisades, CA …
Seven years after the controversy and Adam Scott still breaks out in an itch when asked about his 2005 Nissan Open success at Riviera.
Due to heavy rains that week, PGA Tour officials had no option to reduce the event to 36-holes and with Scott, who had shot rounds of 67 and 66, defeating American Chad Campbell at the first extra play-off hole.
It was supposed to be his fourth PGA Tour career win and while Scott received the full prize cheque, the unique trophy and the World Ranking points that lifted him from 12th to seventh and into the top-10 for a first time in his career, it does not appear on PGA Tour records as a victory.
Adam Scott wins the rain–shortened 2005 Nissan Open but while he received the trophy, the cash and the World Ranking points it is still not recognised by the PGA Tour.
In contrast, the win is recognised on Wikipedia and also in the official records of the European, Asian and Australasian Tour’s where Scott regularly competes.
Scott was asked if the PGA Tour’s decision still irks him or, at now aged 36, has he moved on.
“I think I’ve moved on, but now that you bring it up, Bernie, I would like to just say that, yeah, it is quite fascinating that I do have the trophy and the world ranking points and everything else but it’s not a win,” he said.
“But I’m determined to get an official win here and hopefully it’s this week.”
Adam Scott ‘determined’ to make up for his non-PGA Tour recognised 2005 Nissan Open victory with success this week in the renamed Genesis Open. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
In that regard, the now current World No. 7 is hoping that after coming so close to a second victory a year ago, and at the venue where fellow Aussie Steve Elkington captured the 1995 PGA Championship, Scott can go one step further.
Scott will tee-up on the back of finishing T9th in the Asian Tour’s Singapore Open and his only event of the New Year.
And with just four events he will contest in the lead-up to the Masters, Scott says he under some pressure to ‘lift his game’ before teeing off on April 6th at Augusta National.
“It’s good to be playing well going to Augusta but it’s better to have played in contention and even better if you’ve won,” he said.
“But really if I could get myself in contention in the next three weeks, it would be ‑‑ I would be really pleased with that. The standard of golf is very high. If it’s not Jordan one week, I bet you Jason’s ready to get himself in contention this week and then it will be the next guy and he’ll lift his game.
“So I’m going to be one of them trying to lift my game up and get in the mix and go to Augusta with confidence. I’ve got a pretty short schedule to get that to happen, I’ve got four events before Augusta so I’ve better get to it.”
Those four events include the defence next week of his Honda Classic crown, the defence also of his WGC – Mexico Championship & the former Cadillac Championship while Scott has chosen to add the Shell Houston Open, an event Scott has not contested since 2010, to his 2017 schedule.
