Why haven’t the Internationals gained 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 pictures for the March subject of GOLF Journal and has been cooly strolling from one matter to the following. 

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

It could have been eight months away on the time, however the matter of main crew golf competitions is ripe for conjecture at any level within the yr. Partly as a result of it has been greater than twenty years for the reason that Internationals gained this crew competitors towards the US, but additionally as a result of Scott witnessed the Ryder Cup in Rome. It was simply three-months recent at that time, and as a result of end result — a dominant victory by Crew 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 discipline was Brian Harman, the referendum on Crew USA was nonetheless alive. 

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

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

“Look, I believe I have to be fairly crucial on myself,” Scott stated that day. “I believe it’s coming. I believe the crew the final two Cups has moved in a implausible path. I’ve to be a pacesetter by successful 4 and a half factors. Not [going] 2-2. That ain’t getting it finished.”

Sadly for him, he’s proper. Scott will tee it up this week at his eleventh (consecutive!) Presidents Cup, making him by far essentially the most skilled professional within the discipline. Now 44 years outdated, the final time the Internationals took something however a loss on this occasion, he was a 23-year-old rookie taking part in alongside peak-of-his-powers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 crew tie. Two years later he starred once more, going 3-1-1, undefeated till a singles match towards Jim Furyk. However ever since, he’s didn’t win extra matches than he’s misplaced, taking part in in 49 of fifty classes 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 crew sports activities: it doesn’t matter how nicely you play as a person until the crew wins. So Scott continues gazing into the mirror.

“I believe we’ve acquired an amazing probability,” Scott continued. “I do know we’re not as — perhaps fairly — put collectively because the European crew, however the American crew took a number of licks there in Rome. It is going to be attention-grabbing 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 acquired an opportunity if we will put it collectively. For me, I simply have to 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 current Ryder Cups, a view he acquired up shut in 2023 when he attended the occasion for the primary time in Rome. Lead in expertise, lead by instance and lead by successful matches. That’s lots to ask of a golfer in his twenty fifth yr as a professional. However he’s the one doing the asking. 

What’s most attention-grabbing 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 means each professional golfer is when the calendars flip over in January. However in an I’ve solely acquired so many extra first days of college left type of means. He had simply loved a stunning vacation break and was rejuvenated for 2024. He was thirty seventh on this planet, and in line with DataGolf he was forty seventh. Covid had taken a much bigger hit on his sport — he gained one of many final Tour occasions previous to the pandemic shutdown — than principally anybody else. However one thing clicked together with his tools and velocity pursuits in 2023 and certainly, 2024 was going to ship one thing fruitful. I requested him, if 2024 is ultimately deemed a profitable one in Adam Scott’s {golfing} profession, what does it seem like?

“I’d actually prefer to win a pair tournaments,” he stated that day. For somebody who hasn’t gained in 4 years, that felt like lots. 

“It’s actually the one factor I’d actually wish to do,” he continued, admitting that it’s gotten a bit annoying that his youngsters 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 may get to success with out truly checking these bins. 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 totally different flips of two totally different cash and Scott may have bagged a number of tournaments. As a substitute, he may have no alternative however to attempt to bag a number of Presidents Cup matches. Perhaps each match. Whether or not or not we maintain observe doesn’t matter. We all know he’ll be conserving observe himself, as a result of 2-2 ain’t getting it finished.