[Photo: Getty images]
Family man Adam Scott says his intensity comes and goes but there’s nothing like the Masters to kick him into gear as Augusta National reminds the Australian it’s been 12 years since his historic green jacket triumph.
The second career major has eluded Scott, soon to turn 45, in the years since and he conceded his hunger isn’t as prolonged as it was before life happened.
“I’m (still) very motivated – it comes and goes though,” Scott said at Augusta on Monday. “I don’t think I can have the 12-month focus that I used to. I mean, there’s life as well and I have a family and growing kids. I feel a strong sense to not miss their entire upbringing and it’s more demanding to stay at the top level out here.”
But Scott still wound back the clock with two runner-up results on the PGA Tour last year and he finished fourth on the season-long FedEx Cup among the 20-something stars like world No.1 Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa.
“There are more great young players today and there are more coming through, so the balance of staying at the top is tough,” he said.
The championship season now starts a month earlier with the elite Players Championship in its March date and that’s when Scott says the hairs stand up on his neck.
“When you start getting to big events, the Players Championship and now the Masters, that’s when you really switch on – and I think I can do it in shorter periods but maybe not stretch out all year,” Scott said. ““The dream of chasing Jack Nicklaus’ record (18 majors) is long gone, but I did have the belief that I can become a multiple major champion.
“And I do understand that you’re not going to be able to just show up … or I don’t want to leave it to just showing up and having a lucky week – I know there is a lot that has to go into it.”
Scott’s most recent top 10 at a major was a T-10 at the Open Championship at Troon last year. Before that he went four seasons without a top-10 at the majors. He’s desperate to get off the one-major mark.
“I do want to be a multiple major champion,” he said. “I’d love to win another Australian Open (too) – it’s a special one – and the Open Championship, I mean, I felt like I was right there (in 2012), and I’d like to get both hands on that claret jug.”
