Scott leads from the front to win first USPGA Tour event
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2003 Deutsche Bank Championship | Wrap | 02 Sep 2003
Adam Scott’s decision three years ago to focus his attention in Europe rather than leap into the USPGA Tour in the formative stages of his professional golfing career, manifested itself today in his first victory on the USPGA Tour.
Although he had experienced golf in the United States via World Junior events, his time at the University of Nevada and more recently through his regular participation in the Majors and World Golf Championship events, Scott wanted to stay in Europe until his game had matured sufficiently to tackle the US full time.
When I interviewed Adam in November of 2001, he indicated that he was happy to stay in Europe for the next couple of seasons “I have plenty of time on my side and there is no need to rush anything and when the time is right I will move over” said Adam from London in that chat.
He has shown a great ability to front run in tournaments and the wins that he has had, have typically come that way. His six shot win in Qatar last year and the ten shot win at the Scottish PGA a few months later were both achieved from the front. While this week was at another level entirely, he has the game whereby he can eliminate mistakes and play smart when he needs to.
He got just the start he wanted today with four birdies in the first seven holes but a bogey at the 11th and a charging Rocco Mediate provided a bit of interest albeit briefly. He made two crucial putts on the 12th and 13th holes for par from about ten feet that kept Mediate at bay and when he birdied both the seventeenth and eighteenth holes, he was home by four.
The $US900,000 is a nice addition to the bank balance but the win creates a situation for Adam where he can play both tours almost at will, along the lines of Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Sergio Garcia and others.
Mediate found some form after a disappointing last few months often plagued by injury, to finish second. Justin Rose was third and Vijay Singh fourth.
Geoff Ogilvy continued his impressive run to finish in a tie for fifth and a cheque for $US190,000. He now has earnings of over $US1,200,000 for the season and is the second leading Australian money winner behind Allenby.
There are now six Australians over the $US1 million mark for the season in the US including Allenby, Ogilvy, Scott, Appleby, Lonard and Pampling.
John Senden helped his cause with a tie for 13th and around $US90,000 which now takes his earnings to $US525,000 and within approx. $US40,000 of full playing privileges for 2004.
Peter Lonard, Paul Gow and Greg Norman all tied for 24th and earned $US40,000 each.
The USPGA Tour now heads north of the border for this coming week’s Canadian Open.
