Adam Scott confirms what has been widely reported about PGA Tour, LIV Golf unification

Adam Scott Press Conference – 2025 Wyndham Championship

Good morning. We’d like to welcome Adam Scott to the 2025 Windham Championship. You’re making your seventh start here, highlighted by two top 10 finishes. Can you just share some opening comments on what it’s like to be back at Sedgefield? Yeah, it’s one of the great tracks on tour. And um you know, you’ve just got to play some really good golf around here, I think. And of course, uh I’m looking for a big result this week to keep to keep my season going. Um but just generally looking for a good result. I feel like I’ve been playing well since May and really not gotten much out of out of this at all. So um it would be fun to be in the mix this weekend and uh also you know I still have some open wounds from a few years ago in that playoff. So it’ll be fun to change that. You mentioned this last event of the regular season. You’re sitting on the playoff bubble. Is there anything you’re going to change going into this week or what’s the game plan? No, I need to be I you know I think like I said I feel like my game’s been pretty good since May. So I need to be on the front foot a little bit. I can’t be sitting back waiting for it to happen. I’ve I’ve got a couple of days to put myself in contention for the weekend and um yeah, I feel I feel confident with my game that I can do that. So u you know, it’s about executing and and any anyone’s going to have to play well out here. The the course is one of those old style courses where you need to be in control of your golf ball and if it doesn’t rain even more so. All right, we’ll open it up to questions. As you look at this season, is it any one thing that sort of kept you from getting where you want to be, or is it just that little spark you can’t quite grasp? Yeah, I mean I’ve I’ve really not had any momentum at all. Um and it it seems like I can put three rounds together but not four every week. Uh you know I’ll put the last two together and then the next two the next week and then it’s you know I haven’t matched it up very well. Um, and you know, I would say as my ball striking improved this year, uh, my putting cooled off and you know, it’s just been one of those I can’t put it all together. And, um, it’s far, it’s not terrible, but, you know, it’s obviously not at the highest level. Adam, uh, you were part of that group coming up on six months ago that went to the White House to meet with the president, the PIF. I’m just curious, has there been any or what’s the communication been like from the group or from on high about like, hey, what are the next steps here? Um, is there a a want for another meeting? And then, uh, another question too, you were involved with with Brian’s hiring as the new CEO. So I’m curious just about maybe one characteristic about him that stood out that really you really like that you are looking forward to seeing from him. Yeah, I mean obviously there’s not much happening uh between you know I don’t I don’t know if more White House visits are really necessary. Um but it it was really quite an experience I have to say. you know, um I I don’t I haven’t you know, those conversations Hammond advanced far from there and with Brian stepping in, you know, that’s a lot of that’s going to fall onto his desk now. So, I think that he needs some time to kind of really get up to speed and understand what’s going on with that. Um and yeah, I mean, look, his credentials are obviously excellent on paper. But um you know I I have a few um things that I really liked about Brian, but I I think like his personality from the little bit that I know of it like this calmness uh to him. I I know he’s really excited to take on this role going forward, but he has a very calm nature about him. And uh you know to me which which was one one of the guys involved I thought I I quite liked that. You know I think uh he’s coming in at a very interesting time in the professional game and I think uh that calm demeanor is going to serve him well. We’ll go over to Helen. Um, you’ve come here before needing a, you know, to play really well and I know you had a streak of 16 straight playoffs. Um, how hard is it to keep that out of your mind that this could, you know, kind of end your season? Um, I think it was harder when like there was a streak even though, you know, I don’t really know what that means at the end of the day. like who you know were out here to win the FedEx Cup or win a tournament and streaks are fun side notes you know at the end of your career. So I you know I really don’t think about that and in saying that I’m really here focused on trying to win this tournament. Um I actually think sometimes when it’s like a last chance thing this will be my last chance to play on the PGA Tour potentially for some weeks. you know, it’s do or die and uh that that’s a fun way to play. You know, sometimes we we or I have fell in the trap of like there’s always next week if it doesn’t work out and it’s not the case here. So, I think that’s um not a pressure but more more a motivation. We’ll go to Todd. Adam, I’m not I’m not sure if you’re aware uh the passing of Tom Cousins and what he meant to not only the Tour Championship, the PGA Tour, but also East Lake in the city of Atlanta. Do you have any uh thoughts of of what he’s accomplished in his life? Yeah, I wasn’t aware. So, that’s that’s really sad, of course, and uh you know, just what a supporter of the game of golf and what a what a human being what he’s done around that community. uh we see it every year we go there and and it’s continues to get better and better. Um you know so that’s really sad for the game but you know we we’re lucky to have guys like Tom Cousins cuz he really does pass that attitude on and I know uh East Lake and the city of Atlanta is going to do well going on because of a guy like Tom and so will the game of golf. Adam, not to pour any salt in the wound, but how often do you think about that 2021 playoff here? Well, a lot. The last couple days coming back here, you know, it it really it it does sting. You know, I I was doing a little function last night and I talked about it and I and if you ask me quickly, there are two parts that I really uh feel strongly about in my career and that’s one of them. and the other one was to at the British Open one year to make a playoff with Ernie and they’re the two putts I wish I could have back really. So, uh you know, thinking back to it at the time, it it hurt then, but it kind of almost hurts more now cuz I haven’t won since then either. And um it’s not easy to win out here. So, you really do have to take advantage of those opportunities on tour because you just don’t know when the next one’s going to come. Did Oakmont until the last hour or two validate your belief that your game is right there and then the rain delay obviously sort of everything? Yeah, absolutely. Oakmont. I even even um at the PGA I think I was like three back with seven to go and uh you know I finished poorly which is no not not ideal but you know I was right there on the back nine. Um not saying I was going to mow Scotty Sheffller down but you know I felt like I was in with a chance things going my way certainly at Oakmont. Um, so you know, I believe things are moving in the right direction. The thing I find most frustrating uh these days is things seem to take longer to change as I’ve gotten older. Um, you know, when when I was younger, you could miss three cuts in a row and you brush it off and then win a tournament. and and now it feels like if that were to happen, which fortunately it really hasn’t happened, uh you know, I’d be looking to rebuild everything and it would be a six-month process to get the game back. It just it just seems like when I make these adjustments like it’s taking longer for everything to fall in place. Um so that that’s the frustrating part, but I have full belief especially after Oakmont that you know I can play at the highest level on a given week. I think it’s hard. I think realistically it’s harder for me to do it over a season. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but I need to get things more on my own terms to do that. We have time for a couple more. We’ll go up to Kevin. Um, Adam, speaking of those adjustments, is there any particular adjustment you’re kind of working on this week, yesterday, and today to dial it in for this weekend? I mean, an adjustment in my putting performance would be would be the real thing this week. You know, if I can be solid and in the strokes gain positive category, I feel like the rest of my game is in good shape. So, uh there’s there’s nothing technical that I’m really doing other than I’m going to have to just start willing the ball in the hole on the greens. You know, I think I got to stay calm and take my time. um and and putt each one like it’s the putt the putt to win and hopefully make it. And there’s been this um dichotomy where Scotty Sheffller had those comments about the feeling of winning only lasting a couple minutes and then Padrick Harrington kind of responded and said he still feels it from his win a month ago at the US Senior Open. I was wondering where you fall on that spectrum and has that changed at all kind of as your career as evolved. Yeah, I I think I know what Scotty was getting at and I think he did a good job of explaining it. Um, and I kind of sit in between Scotty and Padreg a little. I I think the demands on a Scottish Heffller these days are really high and the schedule he goes from winning a signature event or winning a major to then having to play the following week expected to win. There’s not a lot of time for him to enjoy it because he expects a lot out of himself as well. Uh and we’re very routine oriented and you know to change that up you know could affect his performance. So that that time to celebrate is fairly short. And I also feel um you know I understand what Padre says too. I think in in reflection probably at the end of the season Scotty will feel or he should he deserves to feel an incredible sense of accomplishment of what he’s done this year, last year and the year before and however long it keeps going. But uh some some of my uh best results have come from when the process of getting there and and the satisfaction of you know enjoying that process of working hard and and slowly advancing and accumulating um better results over time. when I look back at my career that that was in as enjoyable as that kind of short window of um elation from winning. I think I think the real high is really short and then there’s like this other area where you can live pretty satisfied with yourself. We’ll go up here to Ron. You’ve been out here long enough to see a lot of guys come peak, stay there. What is it different about Scotty that you’ve seen? Um, you know, I there’s got to be a mental aspect that that is different than than what we’ve seen from most guys. I mean, he seems very stable, uh, certainly on the golf course and rarely see big errors from him, uh, in the heat in the heat of it. And his tech and his technique, he he seems to have it more under control than most. He’s like right in this efficient area where, you know, he’s got enough speed. He’s not the longest guy, but he’s got enough. and but he’s also very straight as well. You know, that’s a great start. And then his iron play is very very good and his short game is maybe underrated. I don’t know how people view it, but it’s probably underrated. And this year he’s his putting has improved. So, it’s it’s a deadly combination really. Um, but there’s also got to be something inside that is hard to measure and hard to see that separates him as well. And I think at the end, and it’s horrible to compare to Tiger, but you know, Tiger had that difference inside as well. Right. Time for one more. All good. All right. Thank you, Adam.