Why haven’t the Internationals received extra? Adam Scott blames himself

It’s January fifteenth and Adam Scott and I are on the again of the driving vary at Emirates Golf Membership, in Dubai. It’s the Monday of the Dubai Desert Basic, which is the beginning of Scott’s season. He simply posed for a bunch of images for the March difficulty of GOLF Journal and has been cooly strolling from one matter to the following. 

LIV golfer Joaquin Niemann drops by our seats to say howdy and playfully ask Adam why he’s nonetheless speaking to this journalist. Joaco isn’t essentially unsuitable. Scott and I’ve been yapping for 45 minutes now, and it’s practically lunch o’clock. Solely we’ve received another urgent matter to debate: the upcoming Presidents Cup. 

It might have been eight months away on the time, however the matter of main group golf competitions is ripe for conjecture at any level within the yr. Partly as a result of it has been greater than twenty years because the Internationals received this group competitors in opposition to the USA, but in addition as a result of Scott witnessed the Ryder Cup in Rome. It was simply three-months contemporary at that time, and as a result of consequence — a dominant victory by Group Europe — it was nonetheless being litigated in headlines, press conferences, even the Full Swing documentary. On the driving vary in Dubai, the place the one American Ryder Cupper within the area was Brian Harman, the referendum on Group USA was nonetheless alive. 

“Considered one of these years,” I informed Scott, then a 10-time Worldwide group member, “you guys are going to knock off that American group and it’s going to freak individuals out.” 

He agreed. Whether or not it was with the notion of an impending Worldwide victory or that it might ship shockwaves via their opponents, Scott had clearly given it loads of thought. And his intestine intuition was in charge himself. 

“Look, I feel I have to be fairly vital on myself,” Scott stated that day. “I feel it’s coming. I feel the group the final two Cups has moved in a incredible route. I’ve to be a pacesetter by profitable 4 and a half factors. Not [going] 2-2. That ain’t getting it accomplished.”

Sadly for him, he’s proper. Scott will tee it up this week at his eleventh (consecutive!) Presidents Cup, making him by far probably the most skilled professional within the area. Now 44 years outdated, the final time the Internationals took something however a loss on this occasion, he was a 23-year-old rookie taking part in alongside peak-of-his-powers Ernie Els.

Scott went 3-2 that week, in a group tie. Two years later he starred once more, going 3-1-1, undefeated till a singles match in opposition to Jim Furyk. However ever since, he’s did not win extra matches than he’s misplaced, taking part in in 49 of fifty periods in his profession. There isn’t a golfer on the planet who has performed (and continues to play) extra for his facet than Scott for the Internationals, however we’re nonetheless on the again of that driving vary addressing one of many final truisms of group sports activities: it doesn’t matter how properly you play as a person except the group wins. So Scott continues gazing into the mirror.

“I feel we’ve received an important probability,” Scott continued. “I do know we’re not as — possibly fairly — put collectively because the European group, however the American group took just a few licks there in Rome. It is going to be fascinating to see their dynamic. They often come very, very assured to the Presidents Cups as a result of they win all of them. However we’ve received an opportunity if we will put it collectively. For me, I simply must win. I would like a Presidents Cup the place I win each match.”

By that he means play like Jon Rahm or Rory McIlroy have performed in latest Ryder Cups, a view he received up shut in 2023 when he attended the occasion for the primary time in Rome. Lead in expertise, lead by instance and lead by profitable matches. That’s quite a bit to ask of a golfer in his twenty fifth yr as a professional. However he’s the one doing the asking. 

What’s most fascinating about these statements from eight months in the past is that Scott was oddly assured. He was 43 years outdated and feeling refreshed. Not within the typical method each professional golfer is when the calendars flip over in January. However in an I’ve solely received so many extra first days of college left sort of method. He had simply loved a stunning vacation break and was rejuvenated for 2024. He was thirty seventh on this planet, and in accordance with DataGolf he was forty seventh. Covid had taken a much bigger hit on his sport — he received one of many final Tour occasions previous to the pandemic shutdown — than principally anybody else. However one thing clicked together with his gear and velocity pursuits in 2023 and absolutely, 2024 was going to ship one thing fruitful. I requested him, if 2024 is finally deemed a profitable one in Adam Scott’s {golfing} profession, what does it appear like?

“I’d actually wish to win a pair tournaments,” he stated that day. For somebody who hasn’t received in 4 years, that felt like quite a bit. 

“It’s actually the one factor I’d actually need to do,” he continued, admitting that it’s gotten a bit annoying that his children are actually sufficiently old to query why dad is so good however doesn’t deliver residence the trophy anymore. 

What adopted that admission was as shut as you will get to success with out really checking these packing containers. Scott was the comfiest chief within the clubhouse on the Scottish Open in July, solely to be pipped by Bob MacIntyre’s eagle-par-birdie heroics, to the tune of the a crowd singing the Scottish nationwide anthem. A month later he was tied for the lead turning to the again 9 on the BMW Championship, solely to lose by one to Keegan Bradley.

Two completely different flips of two completely different cash and Scott may have bagged a number of tournaments. As an alternative, he may have no selection however to attempt to bag a number of Presidents Cup matches. Perhaps each match. Whether or not or not we preserve monitor doesn’t matter. We all know he’ll be retaining monitor himself, as a result of 2-2 ain’t getting it accomplished.