Story highlights
Adam Scott wins second PGA Tour title in two weeks
Prize money for the last fortnight is now almost $3m
The Australian is now a top contender for next month's U.S. Masters
Rory McIlroy throws away three-shot lead on the last day
He banked almost $3 million for a couple of weeks’ work, but Adam Scott put his latest PGA Tour win down to karma.
The Australian’s wayward approach to the final hole Sunday clung to the steep bank of a water hazard – a few feet to the left, or possibly one more bounce, and it would have ended in a watery grave.
Instead, Scott was able to get up and down for par to seal a one-shot victory over Bubba Watson to clinch the WGC Cadillac Championship for a second title in a fortnight.
“Karma generally evens out in the game,” the 35-year-old told reporters. “If you’re there a lot, you’re going to get some good breaks and you’ve got to do your best to take advantage of them. It was winner’s luck for that ball to stay dry on 18.”
Scott began three shots behind overnight leader Rory McIlroy but carded what he described as an “ugly and good” round of 69, culminating in that good fortune over the water at the last.
“I had to aim left and the wind just wasn’t really moving it. I wasn’t surprised it carried, but I was surprised it stayed up in the hazard. Thank goodness for that,” said the former world No. 1.
He added: “It’s just bizarre because I hit some horrible shots. I think you have this picture in your mind that you’ve got to play so beautifully to win all the time, and sometimes, especially at a golf course like this, in windy conditions like this, it can’t be that pretty unless you play one of the rounds of your life.”
Scott’s hot streak began with a runner-up spot behind Watson at the Northern Trust Open in February before victory at the Honda Classic in Palm Beach, Florida, at the end of the month.
The 2013 Masters champion has now picked up $2,718,000 in prize money for a fortnight’s work and moved back up to world No. 6 with his 13th PGA Tour win.
Scott’s victory in Palm Beach was his first title with a short putter since 2010 after the ban on anchoring – long-handled putters “anchored” to the chest or belly – came into effect on January 1 2016.
Having laid to rest any doubts about how he would cope with a conventional putter Scott turned his attention to the first major of the year, the U.S. Masters at Augusta next month.
However, he downplayed suggestions he was the favorite, offering instead two-time champion Watson.
“No. I think Bubba is,” said Scott.
“Even if I won every tournament I play before the Masters, if Bubba keeps finishing second, I’d still think he’s favored.
“It just sets up so good there for him. Obviously his record there is amazing the last couple of years, he’s got to be feeling great about his game.
“I’d love to just bottle up where my game’s been at the last couple weeks and move forward a month. That’s going to be the hard thing for me to do, is to manage my expectations and also manage my game to keep it right here.”
Meanwhile, McIlroy was left to rue a blown lead after a final-round two-over-par 74 saw him slip from first to a tie for third with Danny Willett.
“I didn’t make enough birdies,” the Northern Irishman said.
“I felt like my game was OK for the most part. I didn’t take advantage of the holes I should have. I couldn’t birdie any of the par 5s and that’s really what killed me.”
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