What they said: Adam Scott

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JOHN BUSH: We would like to welcome Adam Scott into the interview room here at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Adam, thanks for coming by and spending a few minutes with us. You can become the only player to actually win all 4 of our current Texas swing events. This is the only one you are missing. Talk a little bit about this golf course, how it suits you during your second appearance here.

ADAM SCOTT: Yes, it's going to be back here at Colonial Country Club. It certainly would be nice to get in with a chance to win and get the Texas swing.

But it's a course that everyone very much enjoys playing, and I think, I don't know if it particularly suits anyone, it probably suits the guy who is playing well, because it's demanding and requires some good ball striking around here and certainly, like every week, you got to putt well. You know, it's a classic golf course, and we don't play to many of them in this style on TOUR anymore.

So it's nice to be able to come back and enjoy playing here this week.

JOHN BUSH: A short week for you at THE PLAYERS. Talk a little bit about the status of your game heading into the week.

ADAM SCOTT: Well, my game is in good shape. I was a bit thrown off by my performance last week at THE PLAYERS, everything felt good. But each round I hit a couple of blue shots that cost me bogeys or doubles and that certainly hurts and hurts momentum. But it just came from a bit of an alignment issue. I got aiming left and didn't know about it. So I hit a couple of bad shots unexpectedly. But I think I'll play and squared myself up and I got my alignment right and this week I'll have a lot of good shots.

JOHN BUSH: Questions?

Q. Did you work on the alignment over the weekend? Is that something that you focused on?

ADAM SCOTT: Yes, my coach was there last week so we did some work on Saturday and Sunday and, you know, that's all he really saw that it could be. He is really happy with where my swing is at, and I am very happy where how it feels. It was a case of aiming left and making some funny moves to try to counteract aiming left.

Q. David Toms was talking about playing well in certain parts of the country. He does very well in the south. The Texas thing with you, is it just happenstance or is there a common theme there?

ADAM SCOTT: I don't know how that's all come about. But I have had a good run here the last few years certainly. I feel good coming here. I think, you know, Texans are somewhat like Australians, they are pretty fun people. They have fun at that time tournaments. I have fun when I come here. I've enjoyed this run. It's good go to be back this week and hopefully win another one in Texas.

It's all coincidence really I guess. I certainly do enjoy the events, and they put a lot into looking out for the players, so we certainly appreciate it.

Q. I can't speak to this from personal experience. But from talking to some other Australian golfers they've commented on similar grasses, similar climate, windy, similar type courses and weather conditions that you grew up playing on in Australia in Texas?

ADAM SCOTT: I guess absolutely. Certainly thinking of San Antonio the other week. There are visuals that look like some different parts of Australia, but the wind and the grasses for sure here. This week the grasses are similar to what I grew up playing on. And this kind of golf course is kind of that old school golf course is what I grew up playing on back there, too. There weren't too many resort style new golf courses when I was growing up. So this is somewhat familiar to us I guess.

Q. How much has the move to the long putter helped you and talk about your comfort level with that now.

ADAM SCOTT: Well, it's been great for me. I feel better putting from ten feet and in which is really the reason why I was changing to it. I've seen results in that area already so I'm very comfortable with it. You know, certainly when you can rely on your putting from that range, it makes going out to the golf course every day a lot more enjoyable, and a lot more optimistic in my approach to it. Right now I'm very happy with how it feels. The greens are good here this week. If you hit some good putts, I think they are going to go in.

Q. Adam, was Ben Hogan in any sense a hero or a model for you, or of your instructor, and could you tell me what you know of his record?

ADAM SCOTT: Well, I know a fair bit about his record. Obviously, his swing is spoken of a lot. Especially in teaching, so of course. Really for me, I grew up just idolizing Greg Norman and that was pretty much it. So I didn't grow up looking at Hogan as a model for my swing or even as a golfer. But I enjoy the history of golf, and I know a fair bit about it. I know a lot about what he's done and also I will try and figure out how he hit the ball so well.

(Interview from tape.)

Q. (Inaudible)?

ADAM SCOTT: The two par 4's have quite significant movement. And with big developed trees, this golf course is pretty hard to cut the corners. You are pretty much forced out to an area and then play quite a long way away. I think that makes it tough.

And if you do challenge anything, and go wrong, then there is a big number waiting to happen because the penalty is quite severe on this hole.

The fourth hole, 250 yards, you don't have to do anything to make that hole hard. It's 250 yards long. It is a real challenge and it's interesting because it's early in the round. You can be on the back foot early if you are not careful. Three good holes to make par and to get on with your round.

Q. If you went even par for those three?

ADAM SCOTT: That would be fantastic to be par for those three.

Q. Playing the holes before, do you have any shots that you remember, had a rough time there at one point?

ADAM SCOTT: Well, no, but it does demand good shots. Like I said, if you want to challenge it at all you've got to shape the ball nicely. Even on the par 3, depending on the wind, to stop a ball on the green at 250 yards, you are going to have to hit a really nice soft shot and that's not easy from so far away. If you want to challenge it, and take it on a little, you are going to have to hit really nice shaped shots. They are very demanding holes.

Q. Is it hard for you to switch putters?

ADAM SCOTT: Yes, I guess a little. But I spent enough time with it at home, I didn't care. It just felt good. People are going to say something. It's irrelevant. If they got it in for me, no matter what I do, even if I use a stick.

Q. Everybody talks about like you are the last guy to ever use one?

ADAM SCOTT: Well, I mean, I don't know, it's a bit of a trend at the moment. A lot of guys are going to belly putters. A lot of guys are going to longer handle putters. Putting is such an important part of the game now. I would say the most by far. We see it every week, the guy who wins the putting stats, is up there, is going to win the tournament generally. You don't see it the other way very often. Guys are finding that the belly or long putters give them the edge, and they are going to do it because the competition is so tough on the PGA TOUR now.

Q. You've made bombs, are you more of a midrange or short?

ADAM SCOTT: Ten feet and in is where I struggled last year. I just completely lost my confidence. I was searching a lot with the short putter for a different feeling all of the time. There was no consistency. After a long time of not seeing them going in consistently, confidence was gone and it makes it very hard to play the rest of the game when putts from 10 feet aren't going in and scrambling is difficult. You just put so much pressure and this is certainly taking some of that away. At the moment it's enjoyable.

Q. Can you comment on the Nelson and having these two switched this year?

ADAM SCOTT: It's the only date on the TOUR that's really changed around. Good for me because I'm here. I've only played here once before but it fit great in my schedule this year, so I'm really happy about it.

Q. How about at Nelson?

ADAM SCOTT: I'm not playing the Nelson next week, no.

Q. Did you change caddies this week?

ADAM SCOTT: I have, yes. Michael is caddying for me this week.

Q. How difficult is that?

ADAM SCOTT: It's very difficult. I have had a great relationship with Tony. He has been my man. It's not easy. We had a great run together. The cliche, all good things come to an end.

JOHN BUSH: Anymore questions? That's it? Short and sweet. Adam, thank you so much.

ADAM SCOTT: Thank you.