On the eve of his 25th Masters, 2013 champion Adam Scott reflects on nerves, swing envy and the big changes at Augusta.
For perspective on the Masters and majors this century, is there a wiser voice than Adam Scott’s? Of all the accomplishments that place him at the door of the World Golf Hall of Fame – a Masters, a Players, a Tour Championship, 11 weeks at world No.1, 32 global wins – it’s his longevity that seizes attention. The 2026 Masters will mark Scott’s 98th consecutive major start. That is second all-time behind none other than Jack Nicklaus (146). In third place is Tom Watson with 87, and the next longest active streak belongs to Jordan Spieth, who hits 50 this April. Tiger Woods has had so many pauses, of course, and recall even Rory McIlroy sat out the 2015 Open Championship with a ruptured ligament in his ankle. Because, rather than in spite of its pace, golf is a hard game in which to not blink. Year after year for a quarter of a century, as strong and hungry new talent has come through, Adam Scott has never relinquished his seat at the big table. At 45, the father of three has stayed fit and relevant, even making the final pairing on Sunday at the US Open last June. No doubt a textbook golf swing has kept his joints oiled, but the secret to all the success might be his mentality.
Golf Digest: You’re about to play in your 25th consecutive Masters, an impressive streak for a golfer still in his prime. You debuted with a T-9 in 2002. What’s a most vivid memory from that week?
Adam Scott: There are many, but birdieing the 16th on Sunday stands out. I hit one past the back-left pin and tickled it down the slope by the cup. The hillside makes the echo louder there anyway, but at that moment in my career, it was the loudest roar I had ever heard. Maybe I’m romanticising it all these years later, but it was very cool to get a feeling like that in my first year at Augusta.
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You were paired early with Fuzzy Zoeller, rest in peace. How was he to play with?
Fuzzy was a great first Masters pairing. Off the first, I hit it straight into the right fairway bunker, which I considered a good result because I couldn’t feel my hands. Meanwhile, he’s whistling his tune walking off the tee, puts his hand on my shoulder and tells me, “It’ll be OK from here.”
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It’s natural to imagine how one’s comfort level at Augusta National evolves.
In the beginning I played well, probably making heaps of mistakes I was unaware of but still getting rewarded for my good play. Then there was this long period when I played on edge. You learn about all the trouble spots, like never go left on No.2, but every hole has somewhere disastrous not to go, and I started to steer away from them all. The turning point for me was 2010. My putting was a shocker that year but from tee-to-green I managed the course really well and thought, Right, I have this under control.
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What about key changes away from the course, like where you stayed or how you managed your time?
For a number of years, I stayed at the Augusta Marriott as I had developed a relationship with the manager. Butch [Harmon], who was coaching me then, stayed there, too, and I remember lots of Monday nights in his room watching the NCAA basketball championship game, just the two of us and a couple of beers. Butch is a big sports guy – so fun to watch a game with. Then in 2011, I decided to change it up and rented a house with my good friend, Tim Clark. I didn’t much like the house rental thing, weirdly pushing aside clothes in somebody’s closet to make room for your own – but I finished tied for second that year. I rented that same house for 13 years thereafter.
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Alongside the Masters, Wimbledon is talked about as possibly the best-run sporting event in the world. How would you compare the two?
Well, it’s different because I go as a spectator. It’s an incredible experience, and I hear that’s how it is for the patrons going to the Masters. The comparisons must begin with the traditions, starting obviously, with perfectly manicured grass. And then there are rules that create this fantastic environment to play in. At Augusta, people have their favourites, and we can all tell the difference between the roar for a Tiger eagle or a Rory birdie, but it’s so rare for anyone to get out of line. Credit here for the Open Championship as well. For the tennis players, I imagine winning Wimbledon must feel similar to winning the Masters. I’m biased as a champion, but there’s something about the Masters that resonates with golfers and people beyond golf. No disrespect to the other majors, I’d be thrilled to be champion of any of them, but it’s the yellow Masters flags I see every week for autographs, everywhere I go. They just keep coming.
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You’ve witnessed the scale of the facilities and the golf course undergo dramatic changes in your quarter of a century. Do you have a favourite version?
Well, we all know how the pre and post-round experience, the range and the media centre and so forth have changed in ways that seemingly only Augusta National can pull off. But the on-course experience has remained the same, in keeping with the values of the tournament that I think have always been there. Playing-wise, that period of 2010 to 2016 matched up best for me. But if I had a time machine, I would love to go back and see early 1990s Augusta. There were far fewer treelined fairways, more width and more angles, and the ball ran a lot more. I think it played faster with balls bounding up onto greens. I would’ve liked to have experienced no first cut of rough, like, drives leaking right on 14 scurrying deep into the pinestraw, whereas now it takes a very bad shot to get there. That’s what I have in my head anyway, but I can’t really know if it’s true. I understand it’s a difficult balance setting the course with how the game is played today.
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Your tenure has overlapped the eras of three chairman – Hootie Johnson, Billy Payne and Fred Ridley. Who did you get to know best?
As I wasn’t a champion during Hootie Johnson’s time, there wasn’t any reason for him to be hanging around talking to me. Billy Payne was an imposing and intimidating figure, although I had nothing but warm and friendly experiences personally with him. At the champion’s dinner, he had his way of representing the club while Fred – rather Mr Chairman, I should say – has his way. Not in a difficult way at all, but with Chairman Payne, we players were guests of the club. With Chairman Ridley, it’s as if he is a guest of the champions. Both ways are absolutely fine. I’m older now, so I’m sure I see things differently. I’m happy just to have the privilege to enjoy that evening, which I’ll never take for granted. The club can host the dinner however they like.
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Close your eyes and remember 2013 early in the week. Was there anything like a premonition?
Well, I won all the money both practice rounds. Didn’t miss a shot for two days. I played with the South African boys – Ernie [Els], Charl [Schwartzel], Louis [Oosthuizen] and Branden [Grace]. Ernie said to my coach at the time [Brad Malone], “Your boy is ready.” I’m quite close with Ernie, and he could maybe tell I had the bit between my teeth. Obviously, the summer before I had lost The Open that Ernie won, and he knew I wanted to go get it while I was playing my best.
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In retrospect, being grouped Thursday and Friday with Angel Cabrera, who you’d face in the playoff, was a bit auspicious (Sergio Garcia, who’d finish T-8, was their third).
Angel and I had played together a fair amount over the years. On Friday he was just getting it around OK, sort of survived holes nine, 10, 11 and 12, that troublesome area of the course. Then on 13, he pounds this driver over the corner, and I see him immediately start talking with his caddie, his son. I was just close enough to see the exchange. It was like his eyes suddenly locked in. He had found what he needed and knew he was going to be on the rest of the way. He’s such a tough competitor who never backs down when he’s on. At that point in the tournament, it wasn’t necessarily something that impacted me, but it’s something I remember clearly.
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Did you interact with Cabrera last year when he returned after a five-year absence?
Yes, we spoke. It was great, so great. And he played so well. How did he do that? The guy’s so talented.
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Apart from the playoff, was there a most critical shot you pulled off that maybe doesn’t get remembered?
I remember standing on the top of the hill on 15 on Sunday as it was raining. Jason [Day] has just made birdie. I hadn’t yet thought about winning, rather the question was being asked: “Are you going to go with him?” What I had done was not enough, and I just had to keep going. I had 4-iron in from the right side. I was either gonna stay in the tournament, or I was gonna bow out. That was my make-or-break moment. It wasn’t until I was on the 17th fairway that I allowed myself to think, Right, I’m in position to win. In a way, it was a blessing that thought didn’t occur until the 71st hole of the tournament. Playing the entire day with the lead would’ve been much harder, but there always comes a moment when you can’t shy away from the reality of what it’s going to take to win a tournament, whether that’s going birdie-birdie or par-par, or whatever the situation demands. You need to be able to handle that. Somehow my brain switched to, OK, now I win.
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As a leading face of the Internationals, is it a ridiculous question to ask if the pressure you’ve experienced in the Masters is comparable to the pressure you’ve felt in Presidents Cups?
Unfortunately, I’ve never been, or have yet to be, in that pressure situation on a Sunday where it’s my singles match with the Cup on the line. Someday, one of us is going to do it and I’d love to be that guy. It’d be sick. I’ve heard guys who play Ryder Cups say they never feel anything like it. I don’t play Ryder Cups, so I can’t compare. For me, the Masters is the most nervous I get, but it’s a nervousness from build-up and anticipation. My nerves are always strongest on the first tee, when it’s been eight months since the last major, and there’s so much expectation, from others but mainly yourself, to perform well this week. Of course, there are nerves coming down the stretch, but after three-and-a-half hours on the course, you’ve mostly got your mind and body under control, especially if you’re in contention. If the Presidents Cup came down to me on Sunday at Medinah later this year, I do think the feelings would be comparable. I think Ernie [Els] would say he felt an incredible amount of pressure in South Africa in his playoff against Tiger, because he had 11 other blokes riding his back. (The 2003 Presidents Cup at The Links at Fancourt in South Africa resulted in a 17-all tie).
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Your longevity, consistency and lack of injuries is a testament to the soundness of your golf swing, but at 45, are you starting to feel your age?
Golf-wise, I really don’t feel my age. You could convince me that I’m 35, so hopefully I’ve got a few more years in me. Then again, there’s no doubt that when I do other things, the body doesn’t respond as well as it used to. I used to surf three times a week during tournaments. I’d like to do that, though I’m not sure the reason is my age as much as we’re all way more professional than we once were. Nowadays, it’s staying on top of your daily putting drills and making sure your chipping is OK. Am I hitting my irons well and have I dialled the wedges? What’s the driver doing? And then there’s your gym and your physio, and pretty soon you’re spending all day at the course.
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Compliments are wonderful, but over time they can also become burdens. What’s it been like carrying the mantle of world’s prettiest swing?
Early on when I was compared to Tiger, my rhythm fooled everyone. Tiger’s positioning in 2000 was just so pure, and so even if my swing looked like his, the positions didn’t match. But my rhythm and the way I moved were similar.
I do have pretty nice flow in my swing, if I can give myself that compliment. But if you look closely, my swing has evolved over the years, and there’s been a lot of variance in where the club is moving, not that I was necessarily trying to make those changes. To people who tell me I have the world’s prettiest swing or say that they try to copy me, I tell them right back there are days when it feels absolutely awful. Like, I have no idea how I’m going to get it around the course, and I get mental images in my head that I need to swing like Fred Couples or swing like Jack Nicklaus, along with a host of other Band-Aid moves. But I’ve maintained this flow that’s appealing. Of course, I wish my results would’ve stacked up to the banner of world’s prettiest swing.
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Maybe similarly, among a lot of female fans, you’ve had the label of sexiest man on tour for a long time. Is that attention nice, or do you get sick and tired of that?
I think because of my personality, how I’m generally reserved, I didn’t seek the attention that much. And at this point, at 45, I don’t think I get that much attention anymore.
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You might be surprised. There’s a whole new generation who are positively infatuated with you. I’m talking screen savers on phones.
Well, that’s good for the old self-confidence to hear. I’ll be walking tall the rest of the week.
ADAM SCOTT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT AUGUSTA
There are 35 people alive today who have won a green jacket. One is Adam Scott. The 2013 champion was a recent guest in our “Ask The Expert” series, answering fan-submitted questions. – Jamie Kennedy
Q. Who do you sit next to at the Champions Dinner, and who had the best menu?
Scott:We don’t have assigned seating but I sit next to Trevor Immelman every year. Hideki sits near us as well as Mark O’Meara, down the far left side of the table. There have been lots of good [menus]. I think the Texans always serve a good barbecue meal. I like it when the Texans win.
Q. How much have you spent in the Augusta pro shop?
Scott: That’s a lot over the years now. Everything looks so good with the Masters logo on it, you could pretty much take anything out of the pro shop. One year, they released a leather ottoman with the Masters logo embossed on it, and I had to have it. That was probably $1,000 or so.
Q. At home, did you ever just put the green jacket on and have a cup of coffee?
Scott: Every day.
Photographs by Stephen Denton
