Words: Paul Prendergast
Photo: Golfplus Media
Much has been said about the Australian Open’s 20-year hiatus from the Melbourne sandbelt, For fans of Adam Scott and for Scott himself, the reality that the years since his sole victory in an Australian Open have tick into double digits will not be lost on them.,
Back in 2009, the Queenslander defied a week punctuated by gale force conditions at the NSW Golf Club to hold off Stuart Appleby to raise the Stonehaven Cup, ending a lean period of success that was kickstarted by a show of faith by Internationals skipper Greg Norman, who provided Scott with a captain’s pick to contest the Presidents Cup a few months earlier.
Norman’s faith in his ability was a shot in the arm but as Scott prepares for today’s final round of the Australian Open with a one-stroke lead, his own assessment of his game then and now are poles apart,
Asked Saturday evening if he dared to dream about a second Stonehaven Cup, Scott provided no ambiguity as to his thinking on the matter.
“Well, I believe I’m going to do it but without using cliches, there’s no point thinking about my winner’s speech right now.”
“I’ve got a long way to navigate my round, get around the course tomorrow, but I absolutely believe I’m going to do it. If you don’t believe in it, then you won’t do it.”
His third round 67 was capped by second eagle in as many days on the final hole after his drive bounded over the hill to within 125m of the flag. Returning caddy Steve Williams had to pace out the distances a few times to convince himself of how far Scott had driven it, muttering audibly “I don’t go that far on my holidays”.
The conclusion to the round could have unraveled a little but for some key saves from right of the 16th and the front trap on the 17th but all in all, Scott proclaimed his Saturday form as equal to if not better than his 63 on Friday,
He will of course have his work cut out on Sunday, every player who’s ever contended on a final day leader board does. Golf is hard and the surfaces around the Victoria Golf Club, baked in the sun and heat that has Melbourne has been bathing in all week, will play that way too.
A European invader in Adrian Meronk toured Vic in 63 strokes yesterday to provide Scott’s main challenge for the title, The pair will be meeting and playing for the first time on Sunday, with Meronk conceding Scott has been an unabashed idol of his while growing up,
They will be joined in the final group by fellow DP World Tour member Min Woo Lee who has it all ahead of him, beginning 5 shots behind Scott and alongside WA’s man mountain Haydn Barron in a tied for 3rd.
With the men’s event’s biggest attraction Cameron Smith falling shy of the Top 30 cut for the final round, the stage is set for Scott to resume a familiar mantle of crowd favourite to a nation of golf fans.
In his brilliant, future Hall of Fame career, Scott has been successful in winning World Cups and Australian Masters titles on the sandbelt in years gone by. Adding another Australian Open trophy won around Kingston Heath and Victoria however, would certainly be one to treasure forever.
