OAKMONT, PA. The career of Adam Scott has been a solid one. But that assessment could rise dramatically should he capture the US Open at Oakmont.
Scott will be paired with third round leader Sam Burns and when play commences Sunday he will trail by a single shot. Should the 44-year-old win he will become the second oldest champion after Hale Irwin won the national championship of American golf in 1990. He would become the seventh oldest to win a a major championship (see chart below).
Should Scott prevail in Sunday’s final round he would join a very small Aussie contingent to have won the US Open. (David Graham / 1981 and Geoff Ogilvy / 2006).
No question, the stakes are high given the magnitude of the event and the manner by which Oakmont will mandate the highest level of execution. No one knows that better than Scott.
“Yeah, it would be super fulfilling (to win). Everyone out here has got their journey, you know. Putting ourselves in these positions doesn’t just happen by fluke. It’s not easy to do it. I really haven’t been in this kind of position for five or six years, or feeling like I’m that player. But that’s what I’m always working towards. It’s not that easy to figure it all out. But if I were to come away with it tomorrow, it would be a hell of a round of golf and an exclamation point on my career.”
In 2013 Scott became the first Aussie to don the green jacket – symbolic of a Masters triumph. The pouring out of emotions was there for all to see when his final putt dropped in a playoff against ÁngelCabrera.
But Adam has also tasted bitter disappointment. In 2013 he had the 54-hole lead at The Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Anne’s but a disappointing back nine during the final round pushed him into the runner-up slot behind Ernie Els.
How well will the Aussie do in a final round in the US Open?
Since 2020 he has played in 22 major championships. Only once did he finish in the top ten –at last year’s Open Championship at Royal Troon.
Scott, who only climbed back into the top 50 in the world less than a year ago became only the third player to score at par or better for the opening three rounds in a US Open at Oakmont.
His play through 54 holes has been steady and he believes there’s no reason why his form cannot remain intact with just one round to go. His score of 67 in the third round tied for the low round.
“Well, I’m playing good, so there’s no reason not to. I’m playing from the fairway a lot. I’ve played fairly conservative, and I haven’t really been forcing the issue much. Could be a different story tomorrow. A lot can happen in 18 holes out here. But I like what I’ve done so far.”
The 14-time PGA Tour winner knows quite well that at age 44 the wherewithal to compete successfully at the highest elite level is going to be a limited opportunity. Securing a US Open title would only add to his quality career and provide a clear pathway to inevitable selection to the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Scott’s durability has always been a strength and his presence in the field marks 97 consecutive majors played.
Australia has had its share of superior golfers through the years.
Among the ten top players on the leaderboard only Scott has won a major championship previously. Will that experience matter? It could. But final rounds in any major are about marrying sound strategic choices in tandem with consistent shotmaking execution.
The task ahead is a clear one and no one knows that better than Adam Scott.
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Oldest major winner: Golf countdown10. Raymond Floyd1986 US Open – 43 years, 9 months, 11 days The American won four majors in a 40-year career, the last of which was when he edged out Chip Beck and Lanny Wadkins at Shinnecock Hills. 9. Harry Vardon1914 Open Championship – 44 years, 41 days Harry Vardon beat the defending champion J.H Taylor by three strokes at Prestwick. He won The Open Championship six times between 1896 and 1914. 8. Roberto de Vicenzo1967 Open – 44 years, 93 days Roberto De Vicenzo was the 54-hole leader and never moved from the top of the leaderboard on the final day of the 1967 Open, eventually seeing off Jack Nicklaus by two at Hoylake. 7. Lee Trevino1984 PGA Championship – 44 years, 8 months, 18 days Lee Trevino won six majors in his glittering career, another player to complete the Grand Slam. Trevino finished four shots clear at Oak Hill, from the ever-present Jack Nicklaus at the 1984 PGA Championship. He never won the Masters, but he won each of the other three majors twice. 6. Hale Irwin1990 US Open – 45 years, 15 days old Hale Irwin remains the oldest US Open winner to this day. His win in 1990 was all the more memorable as it was the first US Open to be decided by a sudden-death finish after he tied Mike Donald after the 18-hole playoff. 5. Jerry Barber1961 PGA Championship – 45 Years, 3 months, 6 days Herry Barber beat Don January on the first playoff hole to win his only major at the 1961 PGA Championship at Olympia Fields. 4. Jack Nicklaus1986 Masters – 46 years, 2 months, 23 days Jack Nicklaus fought off Seve Ballesteros, Tom Kite and Greg Norman to win the 1986 Masters – arguably the most famous major tournament in the history of the sport. It was his sixth win at Augusta National. 3. Tom Morris Sr.1867 Open – 46 years, 99 days Old Tom beat Willie Park Sr. at Prestwick for his fourth Open win. More than 150 years on, he remains the oldest winner of golf’s oldest major. 2. Julius Boros1968 PGA Championship – 48 years, 4 months, 18 days Despite not turning professional until the age of 29, Julian Boros soon caught up. He won three majors and was golf’s oldest major champion when he won the 1968 PGA Championship at Pecan Valley Golf Club. 1. Phil Mickelson2021 PGA Championship – 50 years 11 months 7 days Eight years after his fifth major win and seemingly out of form and done with major contention, Phil Mickelson carded rounds of 70, 69, 70 and 73 to win his second Wanamaker Trophy. |
