Scott ready for next step

At the age of 24, Australian Adam Scott already has five wins in Europe and four wins in America to his name.

Now he feels ready to take the next step and become a major champion.

Scott went into the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond today as the world number seven and well aware that, for all he has achieved in his career so far, much more is expected of him.

“I felt this was the best event for me to play in between the US Open and the Open,” he said.

“I have high hopes for this week and next week. I think my game and my state of mind is very positive. It’s just a case of putting it into practice on the golf course.

“I do have a pretty ordinary record in the majors [a best of ninth on his Masters debut three years ago and last August’s US PGA], but I haven’t gone into them playing well in the past.

“Although I’ve wanted to play well in them, that hasn’t been the main focus of my career up until maybe now and onwards.

“I hadn’t established myself and I was still trying to secure my card and win tournaments.

“Now I’m in a position to plan my schedule to give myself the best chance going into a major playing well.”

Next week’s Open is at St Andrews, where Scott finished 12th in the dunhill links championship last season.

“It’s fantastic for me and a lot of guys over here because we have about 20 competitive rounds on that course and I feel very comfortable playing there.

“I know there will be more pressure because it’s the Open, but a little thing here or there you’ve picked up over the last four or five years might help because you know you’ve done it so many times.

“If you are playing more solid week-in and week-out you will do it at the majors and I felt that this year at the Masters and US Open I wasn’t panicking trying to find my game when I got there.

“I was just going out and doing what I had been doing.

“I’m in the top 10 in the world and I guess I did expect myself to achieve this, but I don’t think I realised how good you have to play to do it.

“As a kid growing up I wanted to be the number one player in the world, but you don’t really have a clue about what it takes. I didn’t realise how good the standard of play was and I even think it has got better in the last two years.

“It’s hard to get there and it’s even harder to stay there. Everyone is hungry for victories.”

Scott turns 25 on Saturday week. Providing he has made the halfway cut there will be no chance to celebrate too hard on the day – but there will be if something great happens 24 hours later.