In summary

  • Adam Scott lost on Sunday singles as the International team fell to a ninth defeat of the Presidents Cup at Medinah.
  • Scott, 46, wouldn't say whether he'll still be playing or perhaps captaining at Kingston Heath in 2028.
  • Captain Geoff Ogilvy plans a debrief within the next month to work out what went wrong before any decisions are made.

Too soon. It was still too raw.

Adam Scott, on the losing side for an 11th time in the Presidents Cup, couldn’t quite bring himself to make a prediction about what he’d be doing when the next event rolls around, at Kingston Heath in 2028.

A Sunday singles defeat for Scott, to Patrick Cantlay, was one of nine losses by the International team and hopes of that drought-ending victory were washed away by a red tsunami at Medinah.

However, amid the desolation, Scott, 46, who’ll be 48 when the next Presidents Cp comes around, saw some light at the end of the tunnel.

More than that, he saw real hope that a team which boasted a couple of rookies, a couple more players getting continued exposure to the heat of international team competition, would grow in confidence rather than walk away with the sort of devastation which could be hard to come back from, given the lead that was blown on a final day made intense by the vocal local crowd.  

“Well, the week stepped up really good, and we've had a tough day today,” Scott said, sitting in a line-up with his team-mates in the press centre.

“From my experiences, the environment is definitely getting tougher to play, and this was a tougher environment. There are no excuses, but we've got to learn from that and be ready for it.

“I think as I look at the group on the whole, all these guys are going to be much better players in two years. So, I like where it's going for the International Team.

“The American Team, it's a tough lineup. For me, playing for the week, I think I played okay, but okay doesn't win a lot of points against an American team.”

Decisions about the future shouldn’t be made in the immediate aftermath of such long, draining days, more so when the day ends in defeat.

Adam Scott found the going tough on the final day at Medinah. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

International team captain Geoff Ogilvy said there would be a “debrief” of what went wrong “sometime in the next month”.

A decision will need to be made whether he takes charge again at Kingston Heath, which could be a no-brainer, given his expert knowledge of the sand belt, plus the fact he’s a Melbourne boy; a factor which could rouse the local crowds into Chicago-like energy.  

However, what role Scott plays remains a decision for the future.

Scott remains a regular contender, hitting Medinah on the back of a second-placed finishing at the BMW Championship at Wentworth, an event won by an American, JJ Spaun, who was overlooked for the US team.

Maintaining the rage for Scott could, however, be the key factor in whether he’s a player, or otherwise at Kingston Heath in two years’ time.

Geoff Ogilvy has some decisions to make. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

He still wants to win more majors, to add to his 2013 Masters victory, but nothing is getting easier.

Scott was asked whether he’d play on to 2028 or even take over as a captain from Ogilvy.

“I don't know. It's a long way away. Sounds like a lot of work,” he said, the draining nature of playing all five sessions and coming up short again clear in his voice.

“Yeah, I don't know. It's a long way away. We'll see if I'm ... If I can contribute to the team in any way, I'll do whatever for this team.”

Before the event, Ogilvy, and Scott’s young team-mates, all pointed to the Australian veteran as their inspiration for winning, for ending the American dominance.

It didn’t get them over the line this time, but winning for the Australian in Australia - that would be a heck of a result.