Scott on his way to being great once again

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Adam Scott missed 10 of 14 cuts on the PGA TOUR at one point in 2009 before winning in Australia.

Maybe Greg Norman knew what he was doing.

Yes, we're talking about that Adam Scott decision. The most questioned Captain's Pick of 2009. The one that everyone piled on. The one many suggested was about friendship, not logic; about boosting Scott's confidence, not necessarily the International Team's chances.

If it was? Well, no one knows Scott better.

And, it worked didn't it?

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Sunday afternoon, Scott dug deep. He pushed back all the questions, all the expectations and finally played golf once again. He took a lead into the final round of the Australian Open and won by five.

He wrapped his arms around a trophy for the first time in 19 months.

It's about time.

Give or take a colloquialism or a little something that might need to be deleted, that's the gist of what Norman whispered in Scott's ear as they shared a moment on the 18th green. They hugged. They laughed.

They didn't get any arguments. From anyone.

When Scott won the 2008 EDS Byron Nelson Championship, it felt like there might be no stopping him. He dug himself out of nowhere that day. He shrugged off a pile of missed chances and missed putts and grinded out a win. He needed 75 holes, but when the 48-foot putt crested the hill and dived into the cup ... well, it seemed as though the Australian was ready to live up to expectations.

Those balls that landed in the water on a pair of 72nd holes -- one at the 2004 PLAYERS, the other at the 2007 Shell Houston Open -- were in the past. No more struggling to close out a tournament. The major future we all envisioned for the soft-spoken Australian was just around the corner.

Yet it wasn't.

These past 19 months have been a swirl of emotion. Scott's heart broke when he and longtime girlfriend Marie Kojar split. Then his game went sideways. He slid from No. 3 in the world to No. 54-and-falling.

The only news he made? Dinner and strolls on the beach with Kate Hudson. A friendship -- his term -- with tennis star Ana Ivanovic. And, of course, a string of 10 missed cuts in 14 PGA TOUR events.

Scott took a break from swing coach Butch Harmon, the same man who looked after Norman's swing for a spell. He leaned on caddie Tony Navarro, one of the best in the business, to keep him going; another man who never stopped believing in Scott.

The 29-year-old Scott wasn't sure which way to turn when Norman chose him to play at Harding Park. He was close to fragile. He'd talked about taking time off. It would give him the chance to sort out the emotions and work on his game.

Instead, he played and went 1-4-0, which only added to the pressure.

Yet Norman knew it was what Scott needed. Norman has been Scott's mentor since, well, forever. Watch this guy, he said, long before we'd met Scott, let alone watched him play.

A week at Harding Park didn't cure everything, but it was a start. Scott got our attention at the Barclays Singapore Open, where he played his way to a share of third. There were flashes that the elegant swing was working again, that he had found something.

Then came the Australian Open.

He fought off the questions and stopped himself from entertaining the what-if-he-wins thoughts. He played the course. He got out of his own way and let it happen.

Now he's No. 34 in the world and rising. Along with Geoff Ogilvy, he's a favorite at this week's Australian PGA at Coolum -- a course which turned him away a few weeks ago when he tried to get a peek at the changes; a tournament he missed a year ago when he injured his knee body surfing.

He's looking ahead to 2010, a return to the cozy confines of the world's top five and more chances to show off what we expect will be a major game. At the same time, he's not afraid to look back.

There's no doubt he's one of golf's glamour guys. He's got that look that makes the Gossip Girl crowd swoon. But what often goes unnoticed is his trademark ease and honesty and an ability to find perspective when most people just shake their heads.

He'll tell you this last 19 months have been crappy. No fun. Pretty lousy.

"I kicked a few cats but I wouldn't say (I was) depressed,'' he said. "I think I remained fairly positive considering most days I was beating my head against the wall out on the golf course.

"I never stopped believing in myself. I did maybe for a round or a few shots but never threw the towel in.''

It just took him a while to find his way back.

"You never know when this game's going to give you something great or give you a smack right across the head when you think you've got it figured out," he said.

You never know either when a friend will be there to do something unexpected; to give you a little lift when you're down. To trust -- the way Norman did -- that he saw a little bigger picture when he chose Scott. Even if no one else did.

Melanie Hauser is a columnist for PGATOUR.COM. Her views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.