01오랜 기다림 끝의 정상 도전… 일본 필드서 반전 계기 마련
호주의 베테랑 골퍼 아담 스콧이 일본에서 열리는 대회에 출전해 오랜 우승 가뭄을 끝내기 위한 본격적인 도전에 나선다.
세계 정상급 기량을 갖춘 스콧은 한동안 우승 트로피와 인연을 맺지 못했으나, 이번 일본 방문을 분위기 반전의 발판으로 삼겠다는 각오다.
특유의 정교한 샷과 베테랑다운 경기 운영을 앞세운 스콧이 이번 대회에서 오랜 기다림 끝에 다시 우승자 명단에 이름을 올릴 수 있을지 골프 팬들의 관심이 쏠리고 있다.
02Original (English) — PGA TOUR
Adam Scott has won the Masters, conquered The Players Championship and reached No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He has owned one of the most recognizable swings of his generation and has made 101 straight starts in major championships.
Yet, out of everything he has accomplished, one thing has eluded the Australian for more than six years: that next PGA Tour victory.
Scott moved a step closer Saturday at the Baycurrent Classic, firing a bogey-free, 6-under 65 at Yokohama Country Club to reach 12 under (T4) and be one stroke off the lead. With eight players separated by a single shot entering Sunday's final round, Scott has put himself in position to end a drought that has frustrated him for years.
The 14-time Tour winner's third-round performance reminded everyone of the shot-making that has defined his illustrious career. After opening with a birdie at the first, Scott delivered two eagles on the front nine, pitching in from off the green at the par-5 sixth before holing out from 97 yards on the par-4 ninth. Both shots drew roars from the Japanese galleries, and Scott tied three others for the low round of the day.
“It was a good round of golf. There was some fun stuff happening out there, a hole-out and a pitch-in, so that always helps,” Scott said. “I think it would have been great if I kind of converted a couple down the stretch. Surprisingly missed a few putts that I feel like I would have been making the last few days. So that's how it goes. It's hard to complain when you shoot a bogey-free 65.”
The Aussie’s last Tour win was a two-stroke victory at the 2020 The Genesis Invitational at the esteemed Riviera Country Club. Since then, Scott has continued to produce stretches of strong golf but hasn't quite found the winning formula, a frustrating reality for a player who knows what it takes to close out tournaments.
“It's been like six years since I've won on the PGA Tour. I'm frustrated by that,” Scott said. “I feel like there's been some good golf in there and I haven't made the most of it, but it also shows how hard it is to win on the PGA Tour now.”
Scott at 46 still has the necessary competitive juice, and he’s been close to ending that drought this season, with a pair of top-5 finishes at the same event he won in 2020 (T4/2022 and solo fourth/2026), along with a T4 at the inaugural Cadillac Championship in May. However, with all the success he’s sustained, he knows he is just 18 holes away from returning to the winner’s circle, something he’s been eyeing for a long time.
“It would be nice just to win anything, to be honest with you, at this point,” Scott said. “So this is a great chance for me tomorrow to go out and have a fantastic round and hopefully it's better than everyone else.”