Scott Proves Worth as No. 1


Since replacing Tiger Woods as the No. 1-ranked player in the world a week ago, Adam Scott wasted no time showing he was worthy of the position. After finishing 72 holes of regulation tied with Jason Dufner, the 33-year-old from Adelaide, Australia, birdied the third sudden-death playoff hole to win the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas.

Scott secured the victory, his 11th on the PGA Tour, with a birdie on the par-4 18th at Colonial Country Club. Scott's latest win was his first since last August's The Barclays.

Scott also became the first player in history to win all four Texas PGA Tour events. Before the Colonial, he won the Shell Houston Open in 2007, the Byron Nelson Championship in 2008, and the Valero Texas Open in 2010.

Scott further strengthened his hold on No. 1 with the Colonial title. Meanwhile, in the latest rankings released Monday Sweden's Henrik Stenson moved to No. 2, with Woods - idle since March 31 following back surgery - going to third. Those players are followed in the top 10 by Matt Kuchar, Bubba Watson, Rory McIlroy - who won the European Tour's BMW PGA Championship on Sunday, Jason Day, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose and Jordan Spieth.

Dufner was impressed with Scott, the 2013 Masters winner. "He's a great player, obviously No.1 in the world. It's tough to beat him. He's a great player. It's tough to concentrate, he's so good-looking, too," joked the 37-year-old Dufner, the reigning PGA champion. "He made the birdies. I thought maybe I could sneak one in there on 17, but he topped me."

Here's what Scott had to say to reporters about the win Sunday evening.

MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome the 2014 Crown Plaza Invitational at the Colonial, Adam Scott, into the interview room. Adam, what a week, becoming the No.1 player in the world and you capped it off in great fashion today. If we can get some comments on everything that took place today. What a round.

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, it was a great week, I mean, no matter what. And, you know, it's another experience, learning experience on how golf is to get off to such a poor start on Thursday, and kind of claw my way back day to day in this tournament. A lot of good golf out there. It's so satisfying in so many ways to get it done. And today was just another way - an example of that. So to a win here is a real honor. It's a great track. It was a test for me to scale back and to stay patient and just pick my way around the golf course, and very satisfying to come out on top today.

MODERATOR: Quite an accomplishment. You become the first player to win all four PGA Tour events in Texas.

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I think that's a pretty neat deal, the Texas Slam, that's a good Slam to start with. I'll see if I can find some kind of other Slam eventually in my career. But to start here is a great start. I really enjoyed playing in Texas. Something about the golf courses and the terrain and even the dirt, it reminds me a lot of place back in Australia. So it has a level of comfort.

Q. Adam, on the third playoff hole, a gap wedge on the approach shot?

ADAM SCOTT: It was a pitching wedge.

Q. Any different what you had two holes previous when you were there?

ADAM SCOTT: It was two feet from my divot the first time around, so it was exactly the same. And I had a good feel for it, obviously, because I hit the shot just ten minutes beforehand. And pulled my aim in a little bit from the last time around and just had a much calmer swing. Obviously going out on the first playoff hole you're a little jumpy and a little jacked up. The first one was a little bit of adrenaline and not the smoothest wedge I've ever hit.

Q. Talk about the second playoff hole. Obviously Jason has pulled one four feet, you pretty much had to make. Talk about that and that hole and just carrying on.

ADAM SCOTT: Well, I got aggressive on my second shot there, because I knew Jason was going to hit a good shot sooner or later. He's one of the best ball strikers out there, and probably an 8 or 9 iron for him, right in his wheelhouse. I hit a good shot in there that was just a little bit long. Once he hit it, it's pretty much do or die for me. I've got to make it. He's got a four footer up the hill. I think you draw on experience. I've been in playoffs in my career and some match play situations where you've got those putts where you make it or you go home. And I kind of had that feeling. And sometimes you make them. It was a good one to make.

Q. Did you talk about readjusting your game to this course? You haven't been here for a while, and it was a challenge for you?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, it was a challenge for me. I think it tested my patience a little bit. And it demands a lot out of my game. And I came into this week looking to try to find some rhythm on the golf course. And it may not be the easiest one for me, because I don't get a free swing at drivers all day long, which is what I like to do to find a nice rhythm. But it's testing my game for where it needs to be, I think, in the coming months. A lot of irons off tees, chasing it down fairways, and potentially that could hold me in good shape as we look forward to the U.S. Open and the Open Championship. It's all stuff you can store up and hopefully draw on in experience the next couple of months.

Q. How did you maintain your patience after the double bogey, what was your thought process?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I played such a nice opening eight holes and then to double 9, I felt like I hit a good tee shot and it was just off line and got in a bad spot. And didn't recover great. And three putted. I was just throwing shots away, and usually you're kind of forced to do that out here. I felt like if I played a really solid back nine, which I had a couple of times this week, you never know. After the 11th there's no really easy chances out there, you're going to have to create a chance to make something happen. It's not an easy course to just birdie in. I felt like if I could just post the number, and obviously Jason did beforehand, and if I could get it in the clubhouse in front of some of the people behind me, I'd be in with a good chance. A lot of risks where the pins were today.

Q. I'll ask about the Texas Slam. Now you have the plaid jacket, how about cowboy boots and cowboy jacket, do you have that?

ADAM SCOTT: I got the boots over in San Antonio when I won. So I've got that. But maybe I should get a hat. I'll be looking the part. I've got a belt buckle today, too. I'll be looking good tonight in Fort Worth.

Q. Talk about how special this is, especially it's the first one you won after being named the No.1 golfer in the world?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, it's a good feeling, and maybe some validation you could say, but winning any golf tournament is very difficult out here. They don't come easy. And I had a chance earlier this year and I let it slip. And I kind of get into the chance with a couple of holes to go today. I didn't want to let this one slip. So I played hard and I was really happy with where my game was at. As always, a bit of luck involved. And to come out on top is a really satisfying feeling, and hopefully keep No.1 for at least another week.

Q. Follow up on that, being ranked No.1, did it affect you at all, is it something you were aware of, especially on Thursday?

ADAM SCOTT: I guess it's a new experience. It was certainly on my mind. I was having to speak about it a lot this week, leading up to teeing off. And maybe added a little pressure for myself, trying to play like a No.1. But I think the important thing was I realized that didn't mean playing perfect, and I certainly didn't play perfect all week, I made a few errors. But the way you come back and get it done, and I felt like I certainly played like one of the best players in the world out there on the back nine. I'm trying not to put too much pressure on myself to have to go and win every week to stay No.1.

Q. Maybe related to the previous question. You're sitting right on the cut line, halfway through Friday. What changed at that point from then on?

ADAM SCOTT: I made a few less mistakes, but I was moving in the right direction. I was 4 over after nine holes on Thursday. So even though midway through Friday I was on the cut, I still - I was playing better than the others. And moving in the right direction. And I just knew that I had to hit some good shots on the back nine Friday. And sometimes when you do hit the good shots playing on the cut line, because you're a little edgy about what's going to happen over those holes, you can take some confidence; maybe as much as hitting a nice wedge into the last on a playoff hole, because again you're in that situation, do or die, you go home if you don't get good shots on Friday. That might have given me a little confidence going into the weekend to free it up and try and play some good golf around here.

Q. Does it feel like a personal test to you every time you come under pressure again in a tournament like this. Or is there a part of that that says I've won the Masters, so I've already tested myself under these circumstances or is it new every time?

ADAM SCOTT: No, there's something new every time. But the experience is great, to go into a playoff after having won a Masters playoff. It certainly gives you an element of confidence to know that you can go out there and hit good shots under pressure when it is do or die. But you learn something every time when you're out there. And I learned something again today. And in some ways it was nice to go back around 18, and I had the same shot again. I did a much better job. And I felt to control my nerves and bring my aim in, and hit kind of a soft wedge nicely, is not an easy thing for me to do under pressure, because I'd rather hit a full hard shot. You feel like your game is improving. And I can use that experience the next time around when I'm feeling like I don't want to hit that soft wedge. But I know I can.

Q. You talked about the Texas Slam. But when you won San Antonio in 2010, did you think about it, did you even realize it, did you kind of think in the back of your mind that hey, maybe at some point (inaudible.)

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, absolutely, I think after that, someone made the point that no one's ever done it. And obviously I had a chance to do it. So I played here in '11, I think, was the last time, and scheduling is always difficult. But it's such a great golf course I knew I'd be back. And the thing is I made the decision to enter last week, it was on my mind. I'll take any kind of record I can get (laughter).

Q. Would you share your thought on the legendary golfer behind this tournament, Ben Hogan? Is this a tournament you look forward continuing to play?

ADAM SCOTT: Absolutely. This is a golf course steeped in history in the game, and certainly with Ben Hogan. I was on the first tee counting up his wins on the wall. It's incredible like that about everywhere you go with Ben Hogan, every trophy you see. So that's a nice feeling for everyone to be involved in this event, they're involved in a part of golf history, really. And we have to think about these guys that came before us and made golf what it is today.

Q. Can you talk about the putt on the second playoff hole, how big that was for you? He took the pressure on you by sinking that one at four feet?

ADAM SCOTT: Like I said before, at that point, at four feet, he's making it up the hill. So I only had one option and that was to make it. You take your time and go through your routine and not hit it until you're comfortable. And then put the best stroke on it that you can, and find out whether all the practice that you've done pays off. I feel like my putting has been good this year, so there's no reason to doubt myself at that point. And I put a good stroke on that one and on the next one.

Q. (Inaudible.)

ADAM SCOTT: No, just wanted to get a great visual and starting point on my putt. And like I said, you just have to step away, if you're not comfortable and try to put the best stroke on it that you can.

Q. (Inaudible.) What does it do for you?

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, it's a method of reading a green, called Express Reading, and something I've been doing this year. And I find my aim where I need to aim the putt.

MODERATOR: Adam Scott, congratulations once again.

The transcript for the above interview is courtesy of ASAP Sports.