Adam Scott puts hot stretch behind him to prepare for Masters

After the moderator rattled off statistics from Adam Scott’s hot start to 2016, Scott jokingly motioned for him to say a few more to open his Tuesday news conference.

“I was unaware of a couple of them there,” Scott said with a smile.

It’s been an impressive and well-chronicled stretch for the 2013 Masters Tournament champion, but he noted it’s been a month since that point, and this week marks a new chapter.

Scott went on a torrid run over three weeks in late February and early March by tying for second and winning two consecutive events, most recently the WGC-Cadillac Cham­pion­­ship on March 6.

Now, he’s looking toward this week and not in the past.

“Look, I’ve played some good golf certainly over the Florida stretch, but that’s nearly a month ago now,” he said. “I can’t rely on that to get to where I want to be this week. So for me starting here this week, it’s a new week and a new challenge.”

Scott’s two most recent events resulted in a tie for 12th at Bay Hill and an early exit at the WGC-Match Play in late March. He said failing to reach the weekend in match play could be considered a bonus, because it allowed for extra rest leading up to his 15th Masters appearance.

“I’ve just tried to pace myself and really temper my expectations a little bit or lower them coming here, because it’s been a long time since Doral when I last won,” he said. “I can’t just expect to show up and fall into contention here this week. It’s a major championship.”

Scott spoke of the challenges in contending at Au­gus­ta National Golf Club, namely the feeling he gets when he stands on the first tee Thursday. He was asked how it feels to be in contention on the back nine Sunday, but he first mentioned the initial shot.

“Going to the first tee Thurs­day is the most nervous I get all year of any event anywhere at any time,” he said. “Even more nervous than coming to a playoff or coming off the last hole with a chance to win, is the first tee. It’s something that I found the hardest to calm down on this golf course in the first round over the first few holes than anywhere else. It obviously has a real significance to me.”