For the first time since their inception in 2007, Adam Scott won’t be a part of the US PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs.
The Queenslander came into the US PGA Championship 61st in the points standings, but because he is skipping the first two Playoff events to be home in Australia with his wife for the birth of the couple’s second child, he needed a high finish at Quail Hollow. Only the top-70 reach the third leg of the postseason.
Instead, Scott shot a Friday 76 to make the cut on the number at five-over, then closed the PGA with rounds of 74-71 to share 61st place. In essence, Scott dug himself too big a hole to have much of a chance to change his status.
Though Scott had finished in the top-15 in nine of his 14 starts this season prior to this week, he rarely put himself in contention.
“Consistently average,” he said when asked to describe his season. “I feel like there’s been good golf out there, but I only play three rounds of good golf and I always play a round where I’m on the back foot.”
Scott also admitted that his practice has waned during what has been a busy year off the course with a second child on the way.
“My priorities were shifted this year and my practice changed accordingly,” said Scott, who just three years ago reached No.1 in the Official World Golf Ranking but slipped to 17th entering the PGA. “I’m certainly far from desperation [but] certainly motivations and priorities shift over a 20-year career. Not every time are you going to be able to commit and put everything into it.”
At 37 years old, Scott knows the clock is ticking on a career that for all his otherworldly talent – at least until he gets near the green – is still stuck on just one career Major, at the 2013 Masters.
Not much went right at Quail Hollow. He hit just more than half his fairways, 43 of 72 greens in regulation and was a combined neagtive-4.650 in strokes gained-putting after taking 119 putts for the week.
While Scott’s season on the Tour is near over, his year isn’t. There’s still the Presidents Cup in late September and likely stops in Asia and Australia later in the year.
As for the baby, the couple is waiting until it’s born to find out if it’s a boy or girl. They currently have a two-year-old daughter, Bo Vera.
“There’s a list [of names],” Scott joked. “I’ll probably be vetoing some in the next few days.”
