GULLANE, United Kingdom: Twelve months after bogeying?the final four holes at Royal Lytham to let the British Open slip from his grasp, Australian Adam Scott is buoyed by winning his first major and keen to make amends at Muirfield.
"This really has been the tournament I've been looking forward to most this year, there's no doubt, for obvious reasons," the world number four told a press conference on the eve of the tournament.
"After what happened at Lytham, I was eager to get back and try and get into another position to hopefully win the Claret Jug," Scott said.
"Obviously putting Lytham behind me and going on to win the Masters this year has been a bit of a fairy tale and if I were to get in contention this week that would just continue. I'm excited about the week," he said.
Scott arrived in Edinburgh a week early to give himself some extra time to get acquainted with Muirfield, a storied links course with fairways that are parched and playing extremely fast.
"Coming early for me and playing a lot on the course that we're going to play and learning it has been important for me. I want to feel comfortable when I'm on every tee throughout the week in any condition. And the more I play the course, I think, the more I'll feel that way," Scott said.
The 33-year-old from Adelaide carded four consecutive bogeys to squander his four-shot Lytham lead in 2012, eventually losing out to the clubhouse leader, South African Ernie Els, by one stroke.
However, Scott rebounded brilliantly to win his maiden major at this year's Masters at Augusta, holding his nerve to beat Argentine former champion Angel Cabrera in a sudden-death playoff at the second extra hole.
Scott admitted last year's capitulation at the British Open had been hard to swallow.
"I wasn't tough enough that day," he said. "A four-shot lead isn't enough if you're not going to be tough. Even if you're being tough, four shots can only just get you over the line."
Explaining how he overcame the Lytham loss, the Australian pointed to a conversation during a practice round at last year's Australian Open with five-time British Open winner Tom Watson.
"He said that he let one slip early in his career, and he said he would never let that happen again. He would just be tough and want it so badly. And sometimes maybe that has to happen for you to realise that," Scott said.
"Obviously words coming from him I took to heart. It was a completely different situation at Augusta. But I felt like I played tough, especially in the playoff, because no one's going to give you a major."
Another Australian who has come close on a number of occasions and is fancied to do well this week at Muirfield is Jason Day.
The 25-year-old Queenslander has finished in the top 10 in five of the last 11 majors. His three second or tied second-place finishes include one at last month's US Open at Merion, Pennsylvania when Englishman Justin Rose claimed his first major.
He also led at Augusta with three holes to play only to make a couple of bogeys and see compatriot Scott go on to claim the title.
"If you start looking at it negatively, you'll go backwards," Day said.
"You've just got to keep putting yourself in the position to win."
Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/golf-battle-hardened/747838.html
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