Adam Scott has by no means performed on a profitable group within the Presidents Cup, a story as woeful because the Internationals dropping streak towards the Individuals.
He has performed in 49 matches and partnered with 16 gamers. He was a part of the tie in South Africa when he made his debut in 2003, and 9 consecutive losses adopted. The 44-year-old Australian realizes he will not get many extra possibilities.
And but his optimism is as excessive as ever.
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“We’re decided to go on the market this yr and alter the script of this occasion,” Scott stated. “Actually, I wish to enhance my report on this occasion and I am very decided. I do not know what number of extra alternatives I am going to get, if any. So it is a massive week for me.
“However I’ve numerous perception on this group,” he stated. “I can not keep in mind feeling so comfy coming right into a Presidents Cup.”
That is been the vibe at Royal Montreal over three days of apply because the Internationals prepare for the opening session of fourballs Thursday towards a U.S. group that on paper appears to be like to be as highly effective as ever. The Individuals are led by Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, the highest two gamers on the earth.
U.S. captain Jim Furyk threw out just a few wrinkles for the opening pairings.
He cut up up Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay for less than the second time since they started taking part in these group cups in 2019. Schauffele is within the opening match with Tony Finau towards Jason Day and Byeong Hun An, whereas Cantlay is the fifth and ultimate match with Sam Burns towards Hideki Matsuyama and Corey Conners, one in all three Canadians on dwelling soil.
Scott is within the second recreation out with Min Woo Lee, one in all his many proteges, towards Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala.
Worldwide captain Mike Weir has been preaching the current to his group. In some respects, they contemplate the beginning of those matches to be 2019, when Ernie Els spearheaded a change in emblem to provide a group from all around the world a brand new id.
They’d a fantastic probability in Australia in 2019. They’d a fantastic rally at Quail Hole in 2022 after getting in an enormous gap early with a group decimated by defections to LIV Golf.
“We have got numerous younger guys on the group, they usually’re not remembering previous defeats or something like that,” Weir stated.
Scott wouldn’t be a kind of younger guys, though he now’s embracing the youth motion. He’s one in all solely three gamers — Matsuyama (5) and Day (4) are the others — who’ve performed greater than twice within the Presidents Cup.
Nothing compares with 10 tries with out profitable.
“That is a protracted stretch,” Finau stated. “That is robust luck on the finish of the day. Adam is an unimaginable man. As a competitor, I do not really feel unhealthy for him. I am positive he has some Presidents Cups the place he had a profitable report and the group loses. You’ll be able to’t actually solely blame it on Adam. These are group occasions.
“However on the finish of the day I am on the U.S. facet and for this week we do not need any of these guys to win.”
That is been the message for the Individuals, who don’t desire their very own streak to finish. They personal a 12-1-1 report because the Presidents Cup started in 1994. However they’re coming off one other highway loss to Europe within the Ryder Cup, and the danger being with no skilled cup for the primary time since 1998 if they do not win at Montreal.
“It’s a must to earn it,” Finau stated. “It would not matter how good our report is within the Presidents Cup. In some unspecified time in the future they’ll begin profitable some Presidents Cups. It is going to occur. We’re not going to play this many and … I clearly need the Individuals to win the subsequent 50. It isn’t going to occur.
“They are going to begin [winning]. We do not need that group to be towards us.”
The opening fourballs session is adopted by 5 foursomes matches on Friday, a double session (4 matches every) on Saturday, adopted by the Sunday singles.
Scott is a robust voice given his expertise, although it is principally a dropping expertise. He’s extra decided that ever to ship his finest efficiency. He’s operating out of time.
“I began by having very lofty objectives as a child. My goals had been massive, and I’ve achieved a few of these however I have not achieved all of them, together with profitable this occasion,” Scott stated. “It is the shortage of carrying out them that retains me motivated at this level.”
What would a victory imply? Scott cannot even think about.
“I feel if I answered now,” he stated, “I might most likely underestimate the influence it could have if we had been to get a win.”
