Adam Scott has by no means performed on a successful crew within the Presidents Cup, a story as woeful because the Internationals dropping streak in opposition to the People.
He has performed in 49 matches and partnered with 16 gamers. He was a part of the tie in South Africa when he made his debut in 2003, and 9 consecutive losses adopted. The 44-year-old Australian realizes he will not get many extra probabilities.
And but his optimism is as excessive as ever.
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“We’re decided to go on the market this yr and alter the script of this occasion,” Scott mentioned. “Actually, I wish to enhance my document on this occasion and I am very decided. I do not know what number of extra alternatives I am going to get, if any. So this can be a large week for me.
“However I’ve loads of perception on this crew,” he mentioned. “I can not bear in mind feeling so snug coming right into a Presidents Cup.”
That is been the vibe at Royal Montreal over three days of apply because the Internationals prepare for the opening session of fourballs Thursday in opposition to a U.S. crew that on paper appears to be like to be as highly effective as ever. The People are led by Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, the highest two gamers on the planet.
U.S. captain Jim Furyk threw out just a few wrinkles for the opening pairings.
He break up up Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay for less than the second time since they started enjoying these crew cups in 2019. Schauffele is within the opening match with Tony Finau in opposition to Jason Day and Byeong Hun An, whereas Cantlay is the fifth and remaining match with Sam Burns in opposition to Hideki Matsuyama and Corey Conners, one in all three Canadians on residence soil.
Scott is within the second recreation out with Min Woo Lee, one in all his many proteges, in opposition to Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala.
Worldwide captain Mike Weir has been preaching the current to his crew. In some respects, they take into account the beginning of those matches to be 2019, when Ernie Els spearheaded a change in emblem to provide a crew from all around the world a brand new identification.
That they had an important likelihood in Australia in 2019. That they had an important rally at Quail Hole in 2022 after getting in an enormous gap early with a crew decimated by defections to LIV Golf.
“We have loads of younger guys on the crew, and so they’re not remembering previous defeats or something like that,” Weir mentioned.
Scott wouldn’t be a kind of younger guys, though he now’s embracing the youth motion. He’s one in all solely three gamers — Matsuyama (5) and Day (4) are the others — who’ve performed greater than twice within the Presidents Cup.
Nothing compares with 10 tries with out successful.
“That is a protracted stretch,” Finau mentioned. “That is powerful luck on the finish of the day. Adam is an unbelievable man. As a competitor, I do not really feel dangerous for him. I am certain he has some Presidents Cups the place he had a successful document and the crew loses. You’ll be able to’t actually solely blame it on Adam. These are crew occasions.
“However on the finish of the day I am on the U.S. aspect and for this week we do not need any of these guys to win.”
That is been the message for the People, who don’t need their very own streak to finish. They personal a 12-1-1 document because the Presidents Cup started in 1994. However they’re coming off one other highway loss to Europe within the Ryder Cup, and the chance being with no skilled cup for the primary time since 1998 if they do not win at Montreal.
“You must earn it,” Finau mentioned. “It does not matter how good our document is within the Presidents Cup. In some unspecified time in the future they will begin successful some Presidents Cups. It is going to occur. We’re not going to play this many and … I clearly need the People to win the subsequent 50. It is not going to occur.
“They are going to begin [winning]. We do not need that crew to be in opposition to us.”
The opening fourballs session is adopted by 5 foursomes matches on Friday, a double session (4 matches every) on Saturday, adopted by the Sunday singles.
Scott is a powerful voice given his expertise, though it is largely a dropping expertise. He’s extra decided that ever to ship his finest efficiency. He’s operating out of time.
“I began by having very lofty objectives as a child. My goals had been large, and I’ve achieved a few of these however I have never achieved all of them, together with successful this occasion,” Scott mentioned. “It is the dearth of engaging in them that retains me motivated at this level.”
What would a victory imply? Scott cannot even think about.
“I believe if I answered now,” he mentioned, “I’d in all probability underestimate the impression it could have if we had been to get a win.”
