Adam Scott uses hole-in-one to vault up Masters leaderboard

Adam Scott is becoming a very dangerous threat to win the Masters – but not just yet.

Scott made a hole-in-one at No. 16 on Sunday en route to 6-under 66 to improve to 4-under and a top-10 finish.

“It was just a 7-iron, little 7-iron, and I hit a nice shot so it went in,” Scott, 31, said with a smile.

The gallery’s reaction was less restrained about the shot, which landed above the pin and rolled down into the hole, 170 yards from the tee.

“It was loud,” Scott said. “It was massive down there. It was like last year. I mean, I hit a shot that was feeding down last year and just missed. I would have liked to switch them.”

Scott was contending in 2011 – his 10th Masters – and nearly aced the par-3 16th while carding his second-consecutive round of 67. South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel won by two strokes, leaving Scott tied with Australian Jason Day at 12-under.

Augusta National Golf Club is really starting to grow on Scott.

“Last year, I was really great on the greens, played well around it again, and I really feel comfortable coming out here,” he said. “I feel like I have these kinds of rounds in me.”

This week, he felt like his pacing was off on putts, causing him to miss a lot of them.

“That’s costly at the end of the week because I think about my three-putts and stuff,” he said. “Then you look and I’m not that far behind what’s leading at the moment, and I could be right there.

“That’s the positive,” he continued. “I’ve got to just figure out how to get out of the gate better on Thursday and not have to work so hard to get back in the tournament.”

He was 3-over 75 on Thursday with an eagle on No. 8 but no birdies. Friday was much better at 70, with four birdies, then Saturday he lost ground with 73.

Scott’s final round featured birdies at Nos. 2, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 17; the ace at 16; and bogeys at Nos. 4 and 5.

“It was a bit of luck in there for sure,” Scott said. “I was playing well, but it’s just – it’s such a hard golf course – it’s not easy to put it all together because one hole is so crucial.

“I’m really happy to leave having my best round ever at Augusta, but a little disappointed that I couldn’t put it together earlier in the week.”

His mindset is to not live in the past, he said. “If you are living with regrets, then you are going to really struggle out here,” Scott said. “You have just got to somehow take it for what it is. And for me now, I just have to work a bit harder. I think that’s the only answer. I feel like I’m doing all the right things. It just didn’t happen this week.”

Before the hard work, there is the custom of celebrating an ace by buying a round of drinks.

“Well, not too many drinkers out here, so it will be a cheap shop, right?” Scott said.