When Adam Scott first won the Players Championship in 2004 he was aged just 23 years of age.
But the Australian had to wait nine years to his was aged 32 before capturing a first Major in winning last month’s Masters in a play-off over good friend, Angel Cabrera.
Now after a month’s break from competition Scott has looked back on his Players Championship win as the catalyst to his first taste of Majors success.
The Aussie won a further 15 times in the next eight years, including five European Tour events, six PGA Tour events along with an Australian Open and Australian Masters title.
Aussie Adam Scott back to work at the Players Championship following his Masters triumph. (Photo – www.pgatour.com)
Among those victories was a first WGC title in 2011 when Scott was aged 31 in capturing the Bridgestone Invitational.
But then there was the disappointment of last year’s Open Championship when Scott let slip a four stroke leading cushion with four holes to play to hand the Claret Jug to Ernie Els.
“I think it definitely put the expectations up,” said Scott referring to his 2003 Players win.
“But at that age and where I was at, it just all happened kind of easily, and you just expect it to keep happening. And I won other tournaments, but looking back on it I felt winning this tournament at that young age put me on a springboard to become one of the best players in the world and continue to win big tournaments.
“This is a very, very big tournament, and by that I mean WGC events and majors and The Players, and it didn’t happen. I won some Tour events and other events around the world, but it didn’t get me into a position where I was consistently performing well in big events. I think I know why now. I just wasn’t structured enough back then, but that’s young and it’s all coming a bit too easy at that point, I think.”
Scott found out it wasn’t easy, though. He had a dismal stretch in 2009 when he missed the cut in nine of 12 starts, including six straight, before Greg Norman made him a controversial Captain’s Pick for the Presidents Cup — and the faith of Scott’s idol helped turned his game around.
“It’s a different game now,” added Scott.
“There are so many guys with so much talent working so hard, and that’s got to be the mantra for everyone out here, otherwise you’re just not going to achieve. Back then your talent could show up on a week, like it did here at The Players that year, and everything went my way.
“Now to give yourself the best chance you kind of have to have the steps in place to do that. That’s what I see with the guys out here now, so talented and working so hard that you’d better be doing that or you’re not going to compete.”
* Thanks to www.pgatour.com
