Adam Scott Interview - Shell Houston Open

BY iseekgolf.com | US PGA Tour | 2007 Shell Houston Open | Final Round | 02 Apr 2007

Q: We welcome Adam Scott to the interview room.

Adam, the winner of the 2007 Shell Houston Open with a victory today. 4500 FedExCup points move him to No. 6 on the FedExCup points standing list, also moves to No. 6 on the season money list.

Adam, congratulations on a great week. What a wild finish, maybe talk about the last couple of holes, and then we’ll turn it over to the reporters for questions.

Adam Scott: Yeah. It was crazy finish, actually, but, you know, I thought I was feeling pretty good going to the 17th and 18th tee. Kind of got a gift from Stuart. I thought a couple pars would do it for sure, and, you know, last couple holes being pretty tough.

So, you know, I wasn’t that surprised when I saw Stuart hit a good shot in there to 17 and roll the putt in.

He’s not going to lie down for me, but I was pretty disappointed when I saw my tee shot kind of collect on the hill and go down in the water on 18. But, you know, I was really thinking, you know, that shot on 18 might still have a chance to win, at least be in a playoff.

Then obviously Stuart hit a poor shot, I guess, out of the bunker, and I was feeling pretty good again.

So, yeah, I was actually trying to lag it down there. It went right in the middle in the end. So, exciting way to finish, I guess. But I’m glad it’s over.

Q: Similar finish, I guess, to the Players Championship with similar results making par on the 18th hole to win it.

Adam Scott: Yeah. I mean, I don’t know. Water down the left. It’s not ideal for me, obviously on the hole. The hole at Houston to the right, and I hit it down the left in the water, same as Jacksonville.
But I’ve gotten away with it twice, maybe, the third time not too lucky. We’ll try and not do that again, but, you know, I was just trying to hit the right shot off the tee, and I just pulled it a little bit and, you know, hopefully in the future I’ll be able to commit a little better maybe and execute better.

Q: There’s no water to the left next week. I thought I would tell you that.

Adam Scott: Left is okay next week.

Q: Questions?

Q: Are you happy with how did you today, or are you expecting anything that you need to work on for next week for the Masters or anything like that?

Adam Scott: Well, I’m very pleased with the result. I still think I’ve got some room for improvement in most areas of the game, but it was good for me to play in the heat of the battle again and just see what happened and what kind of shots I was hitting and how the ball was coming out because it’s been a couple months since I’ve been in that position, and so just to know how to control

I wasted a few out there, and also actually the day before I had a good chance to do it, as well, and putting on the back-9 was poor, but it’s funny because in the Pro-Am I made six birdies on the back-9 in the Pro-Am.

Q: What did you walk away thinking of your chances last night when it was dark and you’re 11-under?

Adam Scott: You know, if I had been made a couple birdies this morning, it would have been hard to catch up. 6 back, I think, that would have put me. That’s a lot of shots to make up, especially around this course, which really suits him.

But lot of pressure playing on Sunday on the PGA TOUR as well, and this is actually the first time I’m won a tournament coming from behind.

Q: Adam, you have some kind of deep connection was Houston area, either through the Harmon Family or getting a sponsor’s exemption. Could you talk about what the win means to you.

Adam Scott: Steve Timms gave me invites for a few years here early on in my career, which I was very appreciative of. And I haven’t played here for a couple years, and so it was nice to come back and certainly not repaying the debt, but, you know, nice to see friendly faces again. And obviously, you know, close friend of mine was Dick Harmon. And to be out here where he was teaching again and I saw him here the last time I was here, I spent sometime with Dick, and that’s a nice feeling, and it will be nice for Butch, you know, maybe Dick was on my side coming down the 18th today.

Q: Adam, everybody knows what happened last year with Phil winning the week before the Masters. Do you have any kind of that feeling this year or a totally different deal?

Adam Scott: You kind of

but, you know, I kind of put everything to my advantage there, and I was disappointed I hit it in the water. It was not my best drive, but it wasn’t a quick hook in the water, either. Just was a little bit too far left.

Q: Not long after that, you’re watching the putt from almost 50 feet go in. That wasn’t one fist pump, that was two fist pumps. Can you sort of describe what went through you at that point after having

I mean Stuey and I were still out in front. I think, you know, I knew it was really going on between me and Stuey and you’ve been very good as protecting leads?

Adam Scott: Right. Yeah. You know, I could never really put a finger on why I hadn’t

because, you know, no matter how much it rains at Augusta, the greens are going to bounce out a little bit. They can dry them out overnight and this is Houston and it’s I think it’s a pleasant course to play. I certainly you shot 80 on the last round you played before you came here, which would not be the biggest confidence booster in the world, and four rounds later you’re even richer?

Adam Scott: I was a little down on myself, you know. I was disappointed in myself last Sunday. Believe it or not, I actually played quite well all week and made big numbers on Thursday. I made a 10 on one hole and a double on the last to shoot 4-over. I was actually playing quite well, and then it got away from me on Sunday. I didn’t swing it my best and putted poorly. So those two combinations added up to 80, unfortunately, around a tough track.

But, you know, I got the work done on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday here I needed to on my swing, and my swing stayed with me for the whole week, this week and my putting improved over the week. That’s a good sign.

And, like I said at the start of the week in here, I said I really needed to be in contention this week to take something out of it and see how I’m doing, and I can feed off that for next week now.

Q: Can you remember winning, having fought your putting, because you haven’t sounded happy with your putting at all throughout the week?

Adam Scott: No. No, I haven’t. I was grinding with it today. It was hard work. Last year I putted really, really well the second half of the year, and the stroke was really flowing, and I didn’t quite feel that today. And that’s something that I’d like to have going for next week.

Q: Are there any adjustments you’re thinking about making with what did you this week?

Adam Scott: Maybe just working on my stance a little bit. I don’t know what I’m going to do yet.

Q: How much golf have you played with Stuey?

Adam Scott: I’ve played a lot with Stuey over the last seven, eight years. I’ve played a lot of golf, especially in Australia. We get paired together a lot down there.
You know, I think

4th hole I hit driver and a rescue club. I got it up and down outs of the green side bunker from 6 feet.

And then the 5th I hit driver, 7-iron and made a 20-footer.

7th I hit an 8-iron to about 4 inches. 10, 11

Adam Scott: It was back and forth. I think the big putt for me was probably on 14 I made my par putt. We all didn’t hit great tee shots, and we all didn’t hit great slots around the green although Stuey had a tough one but hit a good one, maybe about 8 feet. I made my 8-footer first and he missed his.
Then it looked like he was in trouble on 15 over there on the right. I might get a couple in front. He made a great up and down. But then he 3-putted 16. There was some funny stuff out there on the last few holes for sure.

Q: Crazy match play?

Adam Scott: Little bit, yeah. I mean, it’s funny what happens coming down the stretch. We were solid all day, and all of a sudden, you know, couple of funny shots what happened.

Q: Why do you think that happens?

Adam Scott: Well, a couple of times for me—I mean 16 tee shot was the weird one for me. I had 205, and the ball was traveling so far. I was hitting a 6-iron. I thought if I hit this good, it’s going to go over the back of the green. I tried to take some off and squirted it out to the right. Just stuff like that, you know. You know, it’s the club you’ve got to hit, but I didn’t commit to hitting the right shot. I was trying to hit the easy one. I didn’t want to get cute with it and wind up and hit a bad one anyway.

Q: Okay. Adam, thank you. Congratulations.

Source – Shell Houston Open
Photo – Kevin Cox/WireImage.com