Adam Scott banished any doubts about how he would cope without the long putter which helped him become No 1 in the world with victory in the Honda Classic on Sunday.
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A small measure of satisfaction might come from the silence he hopes will follow: Yes, he still can win with a short putter.
“Well, it’s pretty good to win”, Scott claimed.
At the nearby PGA National Resort and Spa, Australia’s Adam Scott and Spain’s Sergio Garcia charged into a share of the lead after the third round.
“Today it felt like a battle; it wasn’t elation, ” said Scott, who won for the first time in 21 months. I hit a lot of good putts – some didn’t go in but fortunately it was enough in the end.
“I’m on the right track with the things I’m doing on the greens obviously and I’m just going to try and get better every week”, he said. I’m playing great, and the way I played [Saturday] was attractive. “It’s been a long time between drinks on the PGA Tour, especially after I was in such good form the last time I won, but that’s the beauty of this game”.
“I was trying to coax it down there”, Walker said. “I played terrible last week [at Riviera, where he missed the cut]. I got off to a dream start to set the pace and make sure it was me and Sergio for the whole day”. Without feeling like I was swinging that great I still managed to have a chance. Scott bogeyed the par-4 16 but salvaged the following two holes at par to win his first title since the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial in 2014.
Although Garcia pitched to 15 feet and trickled in a late gain to close a one-over 71, Scott was able to seal victory and secure a place back in the world’s top 10 by nudging in a three-footer. He even led the tour in the “strokes gained” category over Tiger Woods, Brad Faxon and Steve Stricker in 2004, before the tour began publishing that data. For those who wondered if his career was in jeopardy, check out that trophy he was holding Sunday.
“I like where things are at”, he said.
“He said he greatly appreciated the gesture”, Scott added.
‘I fought hard, I stayed quite calm.
A freaky and breezy afternoon ended at PGA National with two players whose fortunes changed mightily in the final hour. After a second birdie closed out his first five holes, Scott’s only other birdie happened at the par-4 12. Garcia’s three-putt bogey on the 13th made the deficit three shots, and he was in danger of falling too far behind.
Scott had one last hurdle to clear.
“But it was nice to hit some quality shots coming in”.
The tournament looked signed, sealed and delivered when Garcia’s approach on the 18th sailed into the gallery, only for the Spaniard to scramble for birdy, but Scott could afford to two-putt for par and drink up the applause. “But it might be tomorrow that I can do that”.
“I guess that’s why they call it the Bear Trap”, said Scott of holes 15, 16 and 17. Scott finished at 9-under 271 and moved up to No. 9, and there’s little to suggest he’s about to stop there. Scott switched back for good at the Presidents Cup. And he finally had another victory. “Adam played really, really good, really solid”. “That’s just down to my results”. This is Barber’s best finish on tour, and Thomas’ first top 10 since winning the CIMB Classic last fall.
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It was a positive weekend for Graeme McDowell. This was his 18th consecutive round at par or better.
