Three years ago Adam Scott was four holes away from lifting the most famous trophy in all of golf – the gleaming Claret Jug.

And like 2012 at Royal Lytham and St. Annes Scott’s birthday falls due the week of the Open Championship.

Adam Scott (AUS) on the 14th green during the first round of the 144th Open Championship, St Andrews Old Course, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. 16/07/2015.
Picture Eoin Clarke, www.golffile.ie

In fact, Scott turned 35 today and celebrated with a first round two under par 72 on the Old Course at St. Andrews.

If left the Bahamas-based Aussie trailing five shots behind big-hitting Dustin Johnson who had been out in the earlier and calmer morning conditions.

Of course, Scott is no stranger to the Old Course but when asked by www.golfbytourmiss.com if he continues to learn more about the course each time he tees up the 2013 Masters winner agreed.

Adam Scott (AUS) putts on the 14th green during the first round of the 144th Open Championship, St Andrews Old Course, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. 16/07/2015.
Picture Eoin Clarke, www.golffile.ie

“You do learn a lot, but that’s what the practice rounds are for,” he said.

“Sometimes you’re not actually playing the practice round in the condition that you’re getting.  You’re looking at the absolute extreme opposites and what would happen if you only could hit it 260 yards off the tee.

“But then this is part of the beauty of this championship, if you are on the right side of it.  I kind of felt I was on the wrong side last year, too.

“But it all evens out.”

If it did evens out as Scott mentioned then the Australian would join the likes of Peter Thomson, Kel Nagle, Greg Norman and Ian Baker-Finch as a winner of The Open.

Adam Scott (AUS) examines his lie at the 15th green during the first round of the 144th Open Championship, St Andrews Old Course, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. 16/07/2015.
Picture Eoin Clarke, www.golffile.ie

And as Scott smiled when asked what would be the ideal birthday gift he said:  “I do need to give myself a very special birthday gift one of these years, otherwise it would be very disappointing.

“Maybe one of those gleaming silver trophies they hand out late on the Sunday of The Open.”