Fancourt in South Africa resulted in a 17-17 tie). ● ● ● Your longevity, consistency and lack of inju- ries is a testament to the soundness of your golf swing, but at 45, are you starting to feel your age? Golf-wise, I really don’t feel my age. You could convince me that I’m 35, so hopefully I’ve got a few more years in me. Then again, there’s no doubt that when I do other things, the body doesn’t respond as well as it used to. I used to surf three times a week during tournaments. I’d like to do that, though I’m not sure the reason is my age as much as we’re all way more professional than we once were. Nowadays, it’s staying on top of your daily putting drills and making sure your chip- ping is OK. Am I hitting my irons well and have I dialled the wedges? What’s the driver doing? And then there’s your gym and your physio, and pretty soon you’re spending all day at the course. ● ● ● Compliments are wonderful, but over time they can also become burdens. What’s it been like carrying the mantle of world’s prettiest swing? Early on when I was compared to Tiger, my rhythm fooled everyone. Tiger’s positioning in 2000 was just so pure, and so even if my swing looked like his, the positions didn’t match. But my rhythm and the way I moved were similar. I do have pretty nice flow in my swing, if I can give myself that compliment. But if you look closely, my swing has evolved over the years, and there’s been a lot of variance in where the club is mov- ing, not that I was necessarily trying to make those changes. To people who tell me I have the world’s prettiest swing or say that they try to copy me, I tell them right back there are days when it feels absolutely awful. Like, I have no idea how I’m go- ing to get it around the course, and I get mental images in my head that I need to swing like Fred Couples or swing like Jack Nicklaus, along with a host of other band-aid moves. But I’ve maintained this flow that’s appealing. Of course, I wish my re- sults would’ve stacked up to the banner of world’s prettiest swing ● ● ● Maybe similarly, among a lot of female fans, you’ve had the label of sexiest man on tour for a long time. Is that attention nice, or do you get sick and tired of that? I think because of my personality, how I’m gen- erally reserved, I didn’t seek the attention that much. And at this point, at 45, I don’t think I get that much attention anymore. ● ● ● You might be surprised. There’s a whole new generation, including many younger staffers at Golf Digest, who are positively infatuated with you. I’m talking screen savers on phones. Well, that’s good for the old self-confidence to hear. I’ll be walking tall the rest of the week.
There are 35 people alive today who have won a green jacket. One is Adam Scott. The 2013 champion was a recent guest in our “Ask The Expert” series, answering fan-submitted questions. – JAMIE KENNEDY Q. Who do you sit next to at the Champions Dinner, and who had the best menu? Scott: We don’t have assigned seating but I sit next to Trevor Immelman every year. Hideki sits near us as well as Mark O’Meara, down the far left side of the table. There have been lots of good menus. I think the Texans always serve a good barbecue meal. I like it when the Texans win. Q. How much have you spent in the Augusta pro shop? Scott: That’s a lot over the years now. Everything looks so good with the Masters logo on it, you could pretty much take anything out of the pro shop. One year, they released a leather ottoman with the Masters logo embossed on it, and I had to have it. That was probably $1 000 or so. Q. At home, did you ever just put the green jacket on and have a cup of coffee? Scott: Every day. To hear more from Scott, head to the Golf Digest YouTube channel and watch the full episode. ADAM SCOTT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT AUGUSTA
that pressure situation on a Sunday where it’s my singles match with the Cup on the line. Someday, one of us is going to do it and I’d love to be that guy. It’d be sick. I’ve heard guys who play Ryder Cups say they never feel anything like it. I don’t play Ry- der Cups, so I can’t compare. For me, the Masters is the most nervous I get, but it’s a nervousness from buildup and anticipation. My nerves are al- ways strongest on the first tee, when it’s been eight months since the last major, and there’s so much expectation, from others but mainly yourself, to perform well this week. Of course, there are nerves coming down the stretch, but after three and a half hours on the course, you’ve mostly got your mind and body under control, especially if you’re in contention. If the Presidents Cup came down to me on Sunday at Medinah later this year, I do think the feelings would be comparable. I think Ernie (Els) would say he felt an incredible amount of pressure in South Africa in his playoff against Tiger, because he had 11 other blokes riding his back. (The 2003 Presidents Cup at The Links at
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