Reigning Masters champion Adam Scott jumped 16 places to a share of ninth with a sizzling WGC – Bridgestone Invitational third round 66 to boost his confidence of a second Major championship victory in next Thursday’s commencing PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

Scott arrived in suburban Akron a little rusty following his brave Open Championship effort a fortnight earlier at Muirfield.

However after that first round 73 the Augusta National winning hero has got better with each round shooting a second day 68 and now a four under par 66 to move to four under par but 11 shots behind tearaway World No. 1 Tiger Woods (68) who heads the field by seven shots at 15-under par.

Adam Scott oozing with confidence heading to next week’s PGA Championship at Oak Hil.

“Anything in the 60s out here you have to be pretty pleased, and there was lots of good stuff out there today with a couple of chip-in’s so I’m delgihted,” said the proud Australian.

“So things are going my way and that’s always nice.

“This week is very important for so many reasons and not just because it’s a World Championship event as it’s preparation for everyone playing here who is in the PGA Championship.

“You get a good grasp of where your game is at and you have to use the week on practicing a lot more for next week, so these three days for me are stating to shape up after a shaky first day.”

And after becoming the first-ever Australian to win the Masters, Scott was quizzed if his preparation for the past two Majors, the US Open and Open Championship, had changed dramatically given his new profile in the game.

“It hasn’t really and unfortunately the weather was poor leading into the US Open and that affected me by not being able to play as I wanted to,” he said.

“But at The Open it was great as I spent a lot of time up there at Muirfield ahead of the championship and I really felt I had a good understanding of Muirfield and put myself in there with a chance but just didn’t hang on well enough.

“So a few things have changed but that’s more to do with managing my own time but then that’s my strong side and fortunately I have a good team behind me.

“But after winning the Masters it took a while for the focus to come back but I feel like it’s squarely back and it will be nice if I could tick off the last Major of the year.”

Next week’s PGA Championship will be Scott’s 13th straight appearance in the final Major each year.

His best finish was third at Medinah in 2006 while he finished T11th last year behind Rory McIlroy at Kiawah Island.

And on his last appearance at Oak Hill inn 2003, when the PGA was last staged in upper New York State, Scott finished T23rd behind American Shaun Micheel.

While Scott will now forever be linked with Augusta National, he was asked specifically by www.golfbytourmiss.com also if he thought his game suited a PGA Championship course set-up.

“Generally the PGA Championship courses are set up pretty fairly and it always demading with the rough long and has been long over the last seven years or so,” said Scott.

“But the PGA of America never really push it to where the greens are out of hand and you have to start pannicking, so they don’t manipulate the golf course too much which is nice.”