When Adam Scott took his first look at Merion, host club for the United States Open starting tomorrow, he stopped by the pro shop and made sure he bought a poster of Ben Hogan winning the Open there in 1950. It is arguably golf’s most famous image, the picture-perfect Hogan swing at its conclusion, a thing of beauty, and the crowd framing the 18th fairway as he plays his famous one-iron shot to the green on the Saturday. A limping Hogan played 36 holes that day and his par at the last put him into a playoff; the fact he had come back from a serious motor vehicle accident and a broken pelvis and collarbone the year before is part of the storied Open. Merion reeks of history and Scott, visiting the Pennsylvania club a few weeks ago to swot up on a course he had never played before, was not about to miss out on a piece of it. Starting Friday morning (Australian time), the Masters champion plays in a major for the first time as a major champion and looks to write his own history. The US Golf Association marked the occasion by putting Scott, the world No. 3, in a group with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, the top two players in the world. In this, there is a sense of d j vu for the Australian, who had scaled to No. 3 on the rankings five years ago when he came to Torrey Pines for the US Open, and the USGA put him in the same group as Woods (who won) and Phil Mickelson. Third wheel, is how he describes it in his self-deprecating way. It was an experience that I&aposll never forget, he told the media yesterday. I&aposve never seen that many people on a Thursday morning on the first tee. It was a great atmosphere. I think they&aposve done it a fair few times since, but that was certainly a big pairing. I think this year obviously there&aposs a lot of focus on Tiger and Rory. I know what to expect out there, I think. I don&apost know that — I&aposm probably also the third wheel this week, as well. That&aposs why I&aposm No. 3 in the world, otherwise I wouldn&apost be the third wheel, I guess. A month has passed since he rolled in that putt on Augusta National s 10th green to end Australia s hoodoo in the Masters, and Scott s form has scarcely faded. At the Players Championship, he contended but faded to finish tied-19th, then he played well at Jack Nicklaus Memorial tournament in Ohio, finishing 13th. They were his only two starts, as part of his new policy to focus on the majors and the PGA Tour playoffs, reducing his early-season schedule. In between, he had some media commitments, but not too many. I like to have a plan for most things so I don&apost get blindsided by stuff, he said. I had already had commitments that following week and I just felt that there was no need to go and do all the shows. I did something for Australia. And I did The Morning Show in America. And I felt they were important for me to do. One, for Australia, for obvious reasons, but also over here. I feel I&aposve been welcomed in the States and really supported and I also wanted to show my appreciation for everyone in America, as well, because I&aposm really lucky how much support I get out here. I really enjoy playing in front of everyone. But I felt that&aposs all I needed to do. I try and entertain people on the golf course, not on talk shows. As the newest major champion, 32-year-old Scott is the only player in this week s field with a chance of a grand slam, however slim that might be. Only a handful of players have ever won the Masters and the US Open in the same year. He looks forward to how it feels to play as a major champion. I can&apost lie to you, I do feel a lot better coming here, even discussing that kind of thing. It&aposs a good feeling to come here to know that I&aposve achieved that. I&aposve got my first major. And my sights are definitely set on trying to win more. But it is a nice feeling. I&aposm looking forward to seeing how I feel playing for the first time in a major after having won, to see if there&aposs less pressure or if up I&aposm going to put more pressure on myself, I don&apost really know. For me it&aposs a very exciting time in my career, where hopefully I can make the most of all the things that I&aposve been working for and take advantage of the momentum of winning the Masters and that good form. Merion is an old course, one of America s most famous, having hosted four previous Opens (including Australian David Graham s 1981 triumph). It is potentially open to marauding professionals depending on the set-up. Heavy rain has drenched the course in the lead-up, meaning Scott s earlier recognisance trip was highly valuable. Although there are nine Australians in the field, he is the only one with any good form to speak of. As for the Hogan picture? I&aposm going to frame (the print) and put up in my house, for sure, maybe above the desk or something.
Author: Martin Blake / golf.org.au