Major hungry Scott says his time is now

Major hungry Scott says his time is now

Mark Lamport-Stokes August 9, 2013







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Australia's Adam Scott hits from the rough on the eighth hole during the second round of the 2013 PGA …


By Mark Lamport-Stokes

ROCHESTER, New York (Reuters) - Timing is everything in sport and Adam Scott believes the window of opportunity has never been better for him to try and win more majors following his triumphant breakthrough at the Masters in April.

The 33-year-old became the first Australian to slip into the coveted green jacket when he beat Argentina's Angel Cabrera in a playoff at Augusta National and has continued contending in golf's biggest events.

Scott was in good position to win last month's British Open at Muirfield before letting slip a one-shot lead with seven holes to play.

And on Friday at a rainy Oak Hill Country Club, he stayed in the title hunt for this week's PGA Championship, firing a two-under-par 68 on Friday to grab the clubhouse lead at seven-under 133.

"The platform has never been better for me to go on and win multiple majors," the world number five told reporters.

"I guess you've got to take the confidence and form of winning a major and run with it. I've sat in front of you guys and told you that these are going to be my best years, and generally they are for any golfer.

"But I'm doing everything I can to make sure that they are, and I can't take my foot off the gas just because I achieved something great at Augusta."


Though Scott has long been driven to become the best player he can after being tipped as a future world number one by fellow Australian Greg Norman, he felt his major appetite had probably been sharpened by his Masters win.

"I'm hungry at the moment," he said. "I was hungry before the Masters and I might even have a bigger appetite after it. It might be greedy, but I feel like this is my time to get everything I want out of my career.

"And I'm going to keep pushing until I do. My game is in great shape. I've got to take advantage of it, otherwise it's all a waste.

"I can see the path my game is on, probably from 2010 onwards. I can see improvement in all areas. I really got the bug of wanting to get better and better, and that's what I had not been seeing for a little while."

Scott was co-leader with American Jim Furyk after they opened with 65s and he briefly moved three ahead on Friday before losing momentum after the turn.

"I'm pleased with the round," he said after mixing five birdies, including a 60-foot bomb at the par-four second, with two bogeys. "It was difficult this morning. The course was playing really long with the heavy atmosphere and the rain.

"I got off to a good start, which was important after yesterday's 65, and kept myself moving in the right direction. But when it eased up, it became really scorable out there, and I didn't quite take advantage of that as I missed a few putts.

"I'm very confident with where my game's at. I feel like I've done a good job of working myself into form for the right weeks. I've just got to make the most out of that now this weekend."

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Julian Linden)