Slumping Scott turns to Williams as caddie again
UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. — In an urgent search for motivation, Adam Scott is resorting to old measures at Chambers Bay — including preparation and the man carrying his bag.
The former UNLV standout was among the first of 156 players competing this week to arrive for the U.S. Open, touching down in the Seattle area June 7.
Having played the course every day since then, the 34-year-old will have 11 days of practice under his belt by Thursday’s first round.
“It’s extreme unlike any other course I’ve ever played,” Scott said Tuesday of the links-style course that opened in 2007. “I felt I needed the time to get my eyes fitted to this kind of space.”
Thick roughs and wild elevation changes at Chambers Bay will be the biggest challenge this week, Scott said. Echoing the concerns of another former Rebels standout, Ryan Moore, Scott also cited the course’s firmness and unpredictability as other issues.
“Hitting fairways is going to be everything this week,” he said. “Otherwise, things can get away from you pretty quickly.
“It’ll be very wind and condition dependent.”
Hoping they can pick up where they left off, Scott this month rehired caddie Steve Williams — Tiger Woods’ longtime former bag man — after a 10-month hiatus. Williams will caddie for Scott at the U.S. Open, the British Open, the fourth anniversary of their Bridgestone Invitational victory and the PGA Championship.
Williams was carrying Scott’s bag when the Australian won his only major, the 2013 Masters.
“I feel there has been a bit of a letdown over the past six months,” Scott said. “Three years playing at a high level and enjoying that energy, Steve really brings out something in me.”
After hiring Williams during the summer of 2011, Scott recorded 35 top-10 finishes. He spent 11 weeks as the world’s top-ranked golfer, but has fallen to 14th since the two parted in September.
And after going nearly three years without missing a cut, Scott has missed two since March and hasn’t had a top-20 finish.
Williams, 51, said he was enjoying his time off and that it wasn’t an easy decision to come back.
“It wasn’t an immediate yes or no,” he said. “But Adam and I have a good relationship. It was the right opportunity, and I believe he’ll be playing well again.”
Scott thinks so, too, starting this week.
“I’m just trying to get something going,” he said. “Hopefully the old spark lights up again.”
Contact Chris Kudialis at ckudialis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283. Find him on Twitter: @kudialisrj.
