Where were you when it happened?
*Humble brag warning*: your columnist was standing a few metres away from the 10th green at Augusta National, drenched by the Georgia rain, saturated by the spray of American beer, and overcome with emotion like most Aussies were, not least the man himself – Adam Scott.
It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since Australian golf had its ‘America’s Cup’ moment. And while Scott has aged gracefully over the ensuing decade since donning that splendid green jacket, cries of “C’mon Aussie!”, “the wizard of Oz” and “from Down Under to on top of the world” will surely never get old.
When planning for this April 2023 issue began more than a year ago, there was only ever one possible cover story to pursue – and one specific cover image to capture.
On a balmy Wednesday afternoon in late November, after the Australian Open pro-am, Scott very generously gave us an hour of his time to wax lyrical about the greatest week of his career. We would do that, of all places, in front of a battle-weary Cheltenham Golf Club pro shop (near the site of the tournament’s media centre that week).
The first mission was simple: get ‘Scotty’ to teach us the shots that he believed won him the 2013 Masters [see page 94].
“This should bring back some good memories,” the 42-year-old quipped, before casting his mind back to that famous Sunday afternoon and giving us one of the most fascinating retrospective lessons of all time.
It’s amazing how many of the finer details he still remembers from each swing, and how readers like you can apply those same principles today for better golf.
The second part of the brief was a big ask but worth a shot: get Scott to re-enact his iconic “C’mon Aussie!” celebration from the 72nd hole. Incredibly, he was happy to oblige. Again, it was all about
the finer detail. Scott suggested we dig up the original image [inset] to make sure we had the putter in the correct hand and his body positioning spot on.
Then came the moment of the year. Famous for being reserved, Scott caught us all off-guard with an act of larrikinism we didn’t know existed beneath the polished exterior. While we can’t repeat exactly what he shouted as he pumped his fists for our camera crew, let’s just say it trumped “C’mon Aussie!” and made him even more likeable, if that’s at all possible.
If learning how to master Scotty’s greatest Augusta hits isn’t motivation enough to start turning these pages, you’ll love his recollections of that magical week with super-caddie Steve Williams [see page 80].
Australian Golf Digest’s Evin Priest managed to get Augusta’s antipodean dream team on his No.1-rating podcast “Chasing Majors” where they detailed their incredible partnership that also propelled Scott to world No.1. The pair shared hilarious travel habits about each other from six years on the road and intricate details of that week among the azaleas, which we’ve transcribed for your reading pleasure.
So, what are you waiting for? Enjoy our special Adam Scott collector’s edition and may the 2023 Masters Tournament produce another iconic cover shoot for this magazine.
