Adam Scott has by no means performed on a profitable 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. “Definitely, I need to enhance my file on this occasion and I am very decided. I do not know what number of extra alternatives I will get, if any. So it is a huge week for me.
“However I’ve plenty of perception on this crew,” he mentioned. “I can not bear in mind feeling so comfy 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 earth.
U.S. captain Jim Furyk threw out a number of wrinkles for the opening pairings.
He break up up Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay for under 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 last match with Sam Burns in opposition to Hideki Matsuyama and Corey Conners, certainly one of three Canadians on dwelling soil.
Scott is within the second sport out with Min Woo Lee, certainly one of 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 think about the beginning of those matches to be 2019, when Ernie Els spearheaded a change in brand to present a crew from all around the world a brand new id.
That they had a fantastic probability in Australia in 2019. That they had a fantastic rally at Quail Hole in 2022 after getting in an enormous gap early with a crew decimated by defections to LIV Golf.
“We have plenty 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 could be embracing the youth motion. He’s certainly one of 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 profitable.
“That is an extended stretch,” Finau mentioned. “That is robust 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 positive he has some Presidents Cups the place he had a profitable file and the crew loses. You possibly can’t actually solely blame it on Adam. These are crew occasions.
“However on the finish of the day I am on the U.S. facet 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 file for the reason that Presidents Cup started in 1994. However they’re coming off one other street loss to Europe within the Ryder Cup, and the danger being with no skilled cup for the primary time since 1998 if they do not win at Montreal.
“It’s a must to earn it,” Finau mentioned. “It does not matter how good our file is within the Presidents Cup. Sooner or later they’ll begin profitable some Presidents Cups. It will occur. We’re not going to play this many and … I clearly need the People to win the following 50. It is not going to occur.
“They will 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, despite the fact that it is principally a dropping expertise. He’s extra decided that ever to ship his greatest efficiency. He’s operating out of time.
“I began by having very lofty objectives as a child. My desires have been huge, and I’ve achieved a few of these however I have not achieved all of them, together with profitable this occasion,” Scott mentioned. “It is the dearth of carrying out 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 might most likely underestimate the impression it will have if we have been to get a win.”