A decade since Adam Scott won the Masters, he wants a playing boost from new role

It’s been 10 years since Adam Scott won the Masters and some major changes have him eyeing off a return to the top at Augusta.

Adam Scott is hoping to return to the form that earnt him a green jacket. Picture: Luke Marsden

Ten years after his Masters breakthrough Adam Scott is hopeful taking up an official role as a voice for change in golf’s turbulent landscape has the same impact on his game that it did for Rory McIlroy in 2022.

Scott was voted in as the new chairman of the Player Advisory Council to the PGA Tour and vowed to share the “opinions” he has voiced both publicly and privately over the past 12 months as the impact of LIV Golf’s arrival caused disruption.

McIlroy was the unofficial leader of the PGA Tour’s fight against LIV Golf, and its chief executive Greg Norman, using it as motivation to surge back to No.1 in the world, before losing that slot this week, and winning three times.

Scott, 42, hasn’t won since his victory at the 2020 Genesis Invitational, where the Australian veteran is back in action this week having spent a month at home that included finishing second at the Australian Open.

“This is my industry, this is my profession. Whether I‘m involved because I’m sitting on the PAC or whether I’m a member of the Tour, with everything going on last year, it was taking up space in my life, in my job,” Scott said.

“I have opinions, and whether I was sharing them publicly or not, I still thought about all this stuff going on. As things have played out, the opportunity was there to go on the PAC this year and I took it and I felt hopefully I can contribute something to that committee this year.

Adam Scott won the Masters in 2013. Picture: AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File

“So I‘m not really worried that the time I’ve committed to that is going to have any negative impact on my game. I spoke to Rory a little bit and it had an incredibly positive impact on his game last year, so I‘m hoping for a similar kind of result.

“I was close at the back-end of last season to kind of lifting it up to a level where I feel like I‘m a serious contender and I would like to kind of pick up on that.

“Hopefully, I know what I’m doing at this point.”

Scott knows the 10-year anniversary of his win at Augusta is fast approaching, and he’ll return to the Masters in April knowing he probably underachieved after his 2013 victory.

“I guess it‘s starting to feel like a long time, a decade, since winning, especially with the last few years. I think they‘re kind of a little bit of a blur as well and I don’t feel there was much productive golf for me in that time unfortunately,” he said.

“I definitely felt a sense of urgency when I won, I felt like it as my time, and the next few years I continued to play really well in the majors and I definitely let a couple good opportunities late on Sundays slip.

“If I was not even close to feeling like I could get back there, I‘d be feeling worse about it now, but I don’t think I’m that far away from getting back to that kind of contending level.”

Scott is even turning back the clock and reuniting with caddie Steve Williams, who was on his bag when he won his green jacket, for various events this year, having resumed their partnership in Australia as a “job-share” role that could get the old juices flowing again.

“We slipped back into the rhythm really quickly and we had a good couple weeks and I expect that to happen out here as well,” Scott said.

Scott celebrates with caddie Steve Williams at Augusta National. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images

“Having him come out fresh at this point, it’s just funny how at different times in your life, he’s now hit a point where his kid’s grown up and probably doesn’t want to hang with dad quite as much and he‘s itching to get back out here.

“As much as he’d hate to admit it, it’s in his blood to be out here and caddie and he loves it, and I’m pleased that we’re going to have the opportunity to do a bit more together.”

Originally published as A decade since Adam Scott won the Masters, he wants a playing boost from new role