Last year was his first without a victory since he was a 20-year-old rookie in 2000.
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Sunday in the Honda Classic turned out to be quite a statement.
Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, fired a four-under par 66 while Garcia, seeking his first US PGA victory since 2012, shot 67 to leave both deadlocked on nine-under 201. “Adam played really, really good, really solid”. There’s no other way. “But the main thing you do is commit to the shot you want to hit”.
“I’d be lying if I said I just didn’t even think about [Saturday]”, Scott said. “And hopefully, it’s a move in the right direction to be in that top 10 player in the world”.
Nemechek, the son of longtime Cup driver Joe Nemechek, held off Cameron Hayley by 0.31 seconds to capture his second career Truck victory. This was his 18th consecutive round at par or better.
Chun, victor of the US Women Open past year, added four bogeys to her eight biridies on the final day to end with a 70 and a four-day total of 14 under 274. There were times he clearly was frustrated with the short putter, too.
“I’ve kind of said it the whole time”.
Garcia remained upbeat despite narrowly missing out: “I fought hard and I thought I stayed calm”.
Scott was forced to make a putter switch this season after anchored putters were banned.
The last time Scott won a tournament with a short putter was more than five years ago at the Singapore Open. He missed that for a 7, and Garcia’s long two-putt par gave the Spaniard the lead.
Scott last won at Colonial in 2014. Scott’s win comes in just his third start with this year’s new anchoring ban in effect.
“It feels very good”, Scott said.
“My game has come into a really good spot”.
“I can’t take the credit for this grip as it was actually Brett Rumford, an Australian pro who plays in Europe showed me the grip, and felt good”, Scott said. I hit a lot of great putts again today. I know how to use the confidence of a win better now with my experience.
And then he hit 6-iron to 10 feet on the 17th for birdie, regaining the lead when Garcia made bogey.
Further birdies on the 12th and 13th took Scott three shots clear after Garcia had lipped out for birdie from three feet on the 12th and three-putted the next, only for the Australian to then run up a quadruple-bogey seven on the 15th.
“It’s just getting tougher and tougher to win out here, ” Scott said. “I played with him the last two days, and he looked awesome”. That’s the good thing.
“He deserved it. I’m proud of the way I hung in there, but I don’t feel like my swing is anywhere near where I want it to be”.
Scott and Garcia were quick to point out that Sunday might not be a two-man race, and there was plenty of evidence to back them up.
Seventy-seven players advanced to the third round, including five-time major victor Phil Mickelson who made the cut right on the number after carding a 74.
Garcia posted back-to-back dropped shots when he found the rough off the penultimate tee and couldn’t save par from 13 feet, as Scott tapped-in for a three to extend his cushion heading to the last.
American Peter Uihlein (71) and Romain Wattel of France (65) were tied for second, with Australia’s Jason Scrivener four strokes off the lead after a 69.
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It was the ideal way for Scott to head toward Augusta.
