Adam Scott ready to end Australia's drought in Masters

Adam Scott didn’t believe he’d be part of the final-round conversation at the 2011 Masters Tournament.

Five shots off the pace of leader Rory McIlroy entering Sunday, Scott said the deficit seemed a bit too much, especially with the way McIlroy was playing. Then McIlroy began slipping and Scott started adding some back-nine fireworks.

“I really had no expectations,” Scott said. “Rory had played an unbelievable three rounds. I was just going out there to have the best round I could possibly have.”

With three birdies on the final eight holes for a closing 67, Scott put himself in position to win his first green jacket. He and fellow Aussie Jason Day tied for the clubhouse lead at 12-under before Charl Schwartzel birdied the final four holes for a two-shot win.

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Scott said. “From the way I looked at it, it was all positive. It was good play in that situation.

“It’s one of those amazing things when guys do what Charl did.”

Scott, 31, hopes to build off his best Masters finish and become the first Australian to win the event. He said it would mean a lot to his home country.

“I hope once that monkey is off our back a bunch of guys do it,” Scott said. “I really would love to be the first one. It’s a sporting event our country stands up and takes notice of.

“The people of Australia really have an association with the Masters. It would really be a big deal if an Austra­lian won.”

An eight-time winner on the PGA Tour, Scott took three months off after playing in the Presidents Cup in No­vem­ber in Australia. He had his tonsils removed in December and spent time with family and friends.

“It’s been a long time since I had spent some quality time back at home,” he said. “So I very much enjoyed that.”

Scott will have an additional weapon at this year’s Masters. Last summer he employed caddie Steve Wil­liams, who looped for Tiger Woods when he won three of his four green jackets.

“(Williams) has had a great run there over the past 10, 15 years, and in years previous he’s been right there,” Scott said.

“I’m really looking forward to it. It’s a tough thing, because I want to go back and be in that position again. It’s really hard to play your way into that position. Expec­ta­tions are high, but I’ve got to just stay a little patient.”

Scott, who added his second top-10 finish in a major last year with a seventh-place finish at the PGA Championship, still is seeking his first major championship. He is trying to become the second player in a row to win a major with a long putter, joining PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley. Scott ranked fourth in putting in the 2011 Masters.

Last year’s showing was his first top-10 finish since his Masters debut in 2002. Scott said he finally figured out a successful game plan.

“I felt I spent a lot of years playing the course very conservatively and a little afraid probably of it,” he said. “You have to show respect for that golf course, but you have to be able to make birdies. You won’t win if you don’t make birdies.”