Have Sergio & Adam Scott under achieved?

August 1999, a few months after turning pro a young Spaniard stood looking at his ball behind a big Oak tree in Medinah golf club hot on the tails of Tiger woods. Everyone watching thought his race was run and he’d have to hack out sideways. What happened next sent shock waves around the golf world and one of the most magical shots produced in a major was hit.

With a hop skip and a jump the kid we would soon call “El Nino” ran up the fairway chasing the ball like a kid in a school yard chasing a football. He would finish just one shot off Tiger but he had announced to the world he had arrived. Pages would be written about the “New Seve” and how he and Tiger would go head to head for years to come and compete for all the Majors. Fast forward seventeen years later and guess how many he’s won? None. It’s hard to believe that second place finish is his best to date. He’s had a couple of close calls since, of course our own Mr Harrington being his nemesis in 2007/8!

A year later another young star arrived on our TV’s a young Australian named Adam Scott, if we had face swap technology back then and put himself and tiger side by side, swapped and let them swing, we really would not have known the difference. It was scary how alike they swung. The first few years of his career people marvelled at his silky swing but it was not until 2004 he had his breakthrough in the big events winning the Players Championship in Sawgrass. This again ballooned his popularity and talk of major wins ensued, but again fast forward and he’s only won one.

So between Sergio and Adam they’ve both competed on tour for over 33 years (132 majors) and they’ve only hit the jackpot once.
I was sitting watching the two battle it out the last two nights at the Honda Classic on the PGA Tour, expecting a good fight from at least one of them, but it looked more like two punch drunk fighters late on in their career. More mistakes than brilliance and really sloppy putting displays from both. If you stood watching these two on a range you’d be hard pressed not to see them winning numerous events each year on Tour but apart from what can only be described as a glorified exhibition in Asia last December Sergio hasn’t won in America since August 2012. Adam got the W last night but again it was May 2014 before his previous.

Its funny how alike their careers are, both having won 28 events each. But if you sat both of them down they would not deny they have under achieved and it all seems to boil down to one thing, the short stick.

They have tried everything but when it matters they just can’t seem to get the ball in the hole. When Adam was brave enough to go to the Long Putter it paid off and he could have won a few Majors but only nicked one in Augusta, holing a slick downhill 12 footer in the playoff to take home the Green jacket.

Sergio has tried the claw, belly putter, left below right, you name it he’s tried it, almost!! He was too proud to go to the long putter when he had the chance and it could haunt him as the way his stroke looks at the moment he is destined to join the list of great players never to have won a major.

I remember as a kid beating balls on the range an old wise member would always remind me…..

“Drive for show, putt for dough”

Yours in golf,

Rob Lawless,
Golf Blogger,

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