[Photo: Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia]
Approaching 100 consecutive majors next year, Adam Scott says his body is limber enough to hang with the young studs of modern golf but the former world No.1 would love an Australian victory over the next fortnight to prove it.
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Back on home soil after sitting out of last year’s Australian summer, Scott will tee up at the DP World Tour-sanctioned Australian PGA at Royal Queensland this week. He’ll face a potent field in Brisbane featuring young, big hitters such as England’s Marco Penge, Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen and 2023 champion Min Woo Lee, as well as 32-year-old Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman and other LIV stars including David Puig and Abraham Ancer.
Chasing his first 72-hole win worldwide since February 2020, Scott said his dedication to injury prevention and fitness over 25 years as a pro had his biological clock feeling far younger than his age of 45.
“I’m starting to turn into that kind of old golf pro who’s out there,” two-time Australian PGA winner Scott joked on Tuesday. “But personally, I feel physically and mentally able to do it still. Fortunately I’m not in aches-and-pains phases yet and I’m really motivated to until I get to that point at least try and keep competing.”
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A theme that hovers over the 2013 Masters champion nowadays is consistency given qualification for the 2026 US Open at Shinnecock Hills would be his 100th consecutive major – an incredible feat stretching back to the 2001 Open Championship. But he wants to be known as a threat, not just a longevity golfer.
Scott still drives the ball as long as most young pros and, except for a poor performance on the greens this year, has been among the best 30 putters on the PGA Tour over the past four years. He has not suffered the loss of form on the greens many legendary golfers have faced after turning 40.
Although Scott finished T-12 at this year’s US Open, he was tied for the lead at one stage on the front nine while he was also three shots back of winner Scottie Scheffler at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow a month earlier.
“I still feel like by some of the indicators that everyone judges the game by today, I’m relevant,” Scott said. “I was in the last group at the US Open [at Oakmont] this year on Sunday and didn’t have a great day but feel like I’ve still got the game to compete at the highest level. I really think I just need to sharpen up my focus a little bit and get back in that winning circle. Hopefully that’s the next couple of weeks and I can kick on, still have some good golf ahead of me.”
Scott, a 14-time PGA Tour winner, said he would love to catapult himself to a big 2026 season by gaining winning confidence at the Australian PGA or next week’s Open at Royal Melbourne.
“I’m excited for the week ahead playing at my boyhood home club,” Scott said. “It’s always fun to come back to Royal Queensland GC and relive junior pennant days and memories like that so hopefully there’s a little magic out on the course for me this week.
“[A win this week] would be really special, certainly at this point in my career. I feel like the chances have been few and far between the last couple of years and I haven’t taken advantage of it when I’ve been there, so to put myself in that position this weekend will be great. It’d be like a full circle moment from being a junior champion here to being a PGA champion here and put myself in some really great company being a three-time [Australian PGA] winner.
“The last time I was playing was about a month ago [a T-30 at the DP World Tour event in Korea] and I felt quite good with my game. So [the PGA and Open are] big weeks for me. I want to play well in front of a home crowd but also carry a little momentum and confidence into next season and make the most of it.”
