One of the world's premier golfers, Adam Scott became the first Australian to win the Masters Tournament with his 2013 victory.
Synopsis
Golfer Adam Scott was born in Adelaide, Australia, in 1980. The son of golfers, Scott began playing the game at the age of 4 and, for most of his childhood, was coached by his father, Phil. He turned pro in 2000 and, over the next decade, became one of the game's best players. In 2013, Scott became the first Australian to win the Masters Tournament.Early Life and Career
Adam Derek Scott was born in Adelaide, Australia, on July 16, 1980. At the age of 7, Scott moved with his family to Queensland, where, he says, he developed his life-long love of the beach. Today, Scott is an active surfer.At a young age, Scott was also steeped heavily in the game of golf. While his father, Phil, never played professionally, he was a member of the Australian PGA and, for many years, designed and manufactured golf clubs. More recently, the elder Scott has become a golf course designer. His mother, Pam, is also an active player.
Scott began playing golf at the age of 4 his with father. A few years later, Adam Scott was coached by his dad, who grounded his son in the game's fundamentals. "I tried to keep it simple and natural," Scott later said. "As a golf pro, I appreciated the need for solid technique, but I never tried to cloud his mind with too many technical thoughts."
But Scott's talent was hard to ignore. He was just 13 when he beat his dad for the first time, and, at his father's club, Scott regularly beat players much older than him.
In 1996, the 17-year-old Scott enrolled at Kooralbyn International School in Queensland, an institution well-known for its golf program. Even there, the determined Scott was a notch above his talented classmates, and was considered by many to be a bit of a prodigy.
After three years at the school, Scott moved to the United States and enrolled at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He turned pro in 2000.
Pro Career
Adam Scott didn't have to wait long to enjoy some success on the pro tour. He joined the European Tour 2001 and, that same year, won his first European Tour title at the Aflred Dunhill Championship in South Africa. The following season, he joined the U.S. Tour and began racking up victories on both sides of the Atlantic.In 2003, Scott made major headlines when he became the youngest golfer ever to win the Player's Championship, widely considered the game's "fifth" major.
By the late 2000s, Scott's career seemed to know no bounds. He won the season-ending Tour Championship of the U.S. Tour in 2006, and finished third on the money list. The following season, Scott climbed to No. 3 in the rankings. Then, in 2008, he won the Byron Nelson Championship.
But struggles soon followed. Scott experienced an emotional break-up with his longtime girlfriend, broke a hand and then got sick. Eventually, these personal setbacks took their toll on his golf game. In 2009, his worst as a pro, Scott missed the cut 10 times in 24 tournaments. By the end of the year,
After tying for second at the 2011 Masters Tournament, Scott won the first World Golf Championship at the 2011 Bridgestone Invitational. At his side for the win was Stevie Williams, Tiger Woods's former longtime caddie, whom Scott had recently hired.
Heartbreak followed, however, in July 2012, when Scott suffered a devastating loss at the Open Championship in Lancashire, England. Holding a four-stroke lead, Scott bogeyed the final four holes and lost by a stroke to Ernie Els.
Masters Win
Just as before, however, Adam Scott didn't wallow. The following April, he emerged from a pack of golfers on the final day at the 2013 Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia.In one of the most pressure-packed moments in recent tournament history, Scott coolly knocked in a 25-foot birdie on the final hole and finished the four rounds tied with Angel Cabrera, the tournament's 2009 winner, at -9. Then, on the second sudden-death playoff hole, he connected on a 12-foot putt to win the tournament and became the first Australian to capture the Masters Tournament's coveted green winner's jacket.
For his fellow countrymen, who still talked about Australian Greg Norman and his epic collapse at the 1996 Masters, Adam Scott's win was vindication. Scott, who grew up idolizing Norman and has become friends with the elder golfer in recent years, immediately realized the significance of his win, both for himself and his country.
"Part of this definitely belongs to [Greg Norman]," Scott said shortly after the win, adding, "I don't know how to digest it all at the moment, but it was incredible. I'm just so proud of myself and everyone around me who's helped me. The list is so long."
Scott followed his Masters performance with a one-stroke win at the Barclays in August. He enjoyed more success later that year with victories at the Australian PGA Championship and the Australian Masters.
In May 2014, Scott became the first Australian to hold the world's No. 1 ranking since Norman in 1998. He remained in the top spot until being supplanted by Rory McIlroy in August.
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