Adam Scott looked calm and ready for action. He was slow in his movements, and chose his words deliberately while talking to an audience of collected kids and adults at The Australian yesterday.
Moving slowly, speaking slowly, thinking slowly. It’s Scott’s formula for fending off the nerves when teeing off the first at Augusta, and it probably works in front of a gathered crowd as well.
When Rory McIlroy was mentioned in the questioning, jokingly at first, Scott didn’t seem perturbed. He was asked why they let him off the plane after his heist in the final round at the Australian Open at Royal Sydney last year.
Without going into too much detail, Scott revealed a genuine respect and admiration for the way the 25-year-old McIlroy plays the game. A comparison with Tiger Woods came up, and Scott gave McIlroy what could be considered golf’s greatest compliment.
“The way he plays makes you believe that the things Tiger did are possible,” he said.
Scott still thinks he can hit that amazingly consistent level of success. And why shouldn’t he?
I had the opportunity of watching him go about his work on the putting greens, and around the fairways and greens of the Australian Open, playing a group behind Scott in the Pro-Am yesterday.
His preparation is meticulous. He makes sure of the distances he’s staring at; checking and re-checking for wind and slope adjustments. He was chatting with his coach after most shots, making sure he was doing exactly what was required the day before the Open.
The applause from the flock following him, rather larger than most groups, was telling. Most shots he made were of supreme quality. His drives boomed, and his work to the green was excellent. I didn’t get to see him putt until the practice surface, but that too shows a man in control, but always looking to be more in control.
Scott’s arc seemed to be his focus. Drain a putt, check that the club had been withdrawn and followed through in the right motion, talk to his coach, putt again, drain that one too.
It looked like a recipe for success.
But can he catch McIlroy, the defending champion and world number one player? It’s a hell of a showdown, and would be a hell of a feat if he managed.
McIlroy’s Australian Open win last year was his only one of 2013, but propelled him to two major victories, a win the WCG Bridgstone and the European Tour’s BMW PGA Championship. It’s been a Tiger-like year for the Northern Irishman.
After the loss on the last hole at Royal Sydney in 2013, Scott has won twice, and had a host of top tens. But it’s not a double major-winning year, and he’s currently world number three after Henrik Stenson’s win in Dubai.
But if these aren’t the two best golfers in the world going head-to-head this weekend, I’ll be blown. It’s going to be a hell of a tournament.
He’s been paired with another big-time player, young American Jordan Spieth, in what is clearly the group to watch when the tournament tees off tomorrow. Nick Cullen, who won the Australian Masters, has also been thrown in there for good measure.
If the crowds following Scott and McIlroy around the golf course were any measure of his pulling power, there will be a horde travelling with the two of them for the entire Australian Open. They’ll deserve it too, and the crowd will get a great show.
Bring it on, and bring on retribution for Scotty.
Patrick played in the Australian Open Pro-Am as a guest of Emirates
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