Adam Scott in PGA box seat, but putter needs to fire

BY BRENDAN JAMES AT RACV ROYAL PINES RESORT, GOLD COAST

For the first time this summer, Adam Scott has more than 98 percent of the field where he wants them … behind him.

With 18 holes left to play in the Australian PGA Championship, the World No.3 is in a three-way tie for the lead with good mate Wade Ormsby and West Australian Scott Strange.

Adam Scott reacts to a missed putt during the third round. PHOTO: Getty Images

In windy conditions for the third round, the 2013 Masters Champion signed for a three under 69 to grab a share of the lead with Strange (71) and Ormsby (71) after trailing the pair by two strokes overnight.

Young West Australian Jason Scrivener, who recently earned his European Tour card through Qualifying School, birdied four of his last seven holes for a four under 68 and a share of fourth place, with American Boo Weekley, one shot from the lead. Weekley couldn’t break par on the front nine of the RACV Royal Pines Resort course but an eagle and a sole birdie on the back side had him signing for a 69 and a nine under total

Since arriving back home nearly with every round he has played.

At the Australian Masters the tone was set and he climbed the leaderboard ladder one rung at a time after an ordinary opening round to finish second behind Nick Cullen. In Sydney, at the Emirates Australian Open, he seemed poised to come from a few shots back to challenge for the title on the final day but, like the rest of the field, was blown away by the Jordan Spieth juggernaut. Tomorrow, he will be back in his preferred final round habitat – last group … tournament leader.

“It was good today to make up a couple of shots and at least get in a share for the lead and stay in the final group for the last round,” Scott said smiling. “But it's a really bunched leader board and whoever has a good round tomorrow's going to be able to do it.

“For me tomorrow, I need to go out and get off to a good start. That's the best thing I can do for so many reasons to give myself the advantage.

“But you've got Boo one back, any of these guys can get off to a good start and there's no reason why not. It's sitting all right there. The soft conditions are rewarding good shots still; so really important for me to start well tomorrow.”

He finds himself atop the leaderboard – even if only sharing it – on the back of a display of ball-striking that rivals his form from tee-to-green throughout 2013 and when he won on the PGA Tour earlier this year.

His stats tell the full story. Over three rounds, he ranks No.2 in the field for driving accuracy with 81 percent of fairways hit (34 from 42) and he ranks No.1 in greens hit in regulation at a stunning 80 percent (43 from 54).

“I'm swinging the club nicely this week and that's certainly kept me in the event in these tough conditions,” Scott said. “Kind of stress free rounds in tough conditions feel good, so hopefully I've got plenty of energy for tomorrow.”

What will be of concern to Scott as heads into 2015 is his form with the putter. With a tick over 12 months before the anchoring ban comes into force, Scott is not holing enough putts to win regularly. While he is soaring at the top of ball striking stats leaderboards, he is floundering in last place for number of putts. Of the 62 players who made the cut, he has more putts than any of them at an average of 31 putts per round, which is nearly six strokes worse than the best putter – Greg Chalmers – who is ten strokes behind him on the leaderboard.

Adam Scott smashes a 3-iron onto the green from a fairway bunker on the 9th hole to set up a two-putt birdie.
PHOTO: Getty Images

There were several times during the final round where it seemed the frustration on the greens was building within the 34-year-old as several birdie opportunities burned the edge of the hole.

But Scott said the tough scoring conditions meant it was always going to be difficult to hole putts.

“It would be (frustrating) if it was easy,” he said. “It was tough conditions so on a day like today it's less frustrating to see a few slide by, because probably most people are struggling.”

Wade Ormsby holes a long putt at the 18th hole to join the lead. PHOTO: Getty Images

He did, however, confess that if he putted the same way in the final round he won’t win the Joe Kirkwood Trophy.

“Scoring wasn't great today, it was just average because of the tough conditions, so I kind of got away with that,” Scott said. “But if that's the case tomorrow, then I'll probably not win. The winner ends up making putts, so I need to make a few tomorrow.”

Scott will head out in the last pairing for the final round with Scott Strange, who had a third round 71 to consolidate his position at the top of the leaderboard.

Strange, 37, looked set to hold the clubhouse lead for another night but an errant drive on the par-4 17^th saw him make bogey when he couldn’t reach the green with his second shot from the thick, deep rough.

Neither Strange or Ormsby have ever won a professional tournament on home soil. In Ormsby’s case, he knows its going to be a tough ask to beat Scott, who he has been staying with at his Gold Coast home this week.

“He’s been a great host,” Ormsby laughed. “The food's been amazing, so there are no complaints there.

“We'll just go out there tomorrow and do as good as I can do and see what that brings. Just play my own game, all the cliches, all that kind of stuff.  I'll just try and play as good a golf as I can and I think hopefully I'll be there somewhere at the end.”

Scott said he was really pleased to see Ormsby, who he has known since he was 13, doing well after a few lean years on Tour.

“Just really happy for Wade coming off a rough couple of years on the course and with limited status this year in Europe, to finish top Aussie in the Race to Dubai and to lock his place up and kind of control his own schedule next year … it's good for him,” Scott said. “I can see the confidence in him. He's playing well again this week. He's played well the last few weeks and you can see what kind of effect that has on him; so I'm very happy for him.”

For Scott, a successful defence of his Australian PGA crown will ensure he keeps is No.3 world ranking heading into 2015 and will narrow the margin between him and World No.2 Henrik Stenson.

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