Adam Scott resolute about major chances following British Open collapse

Adam Scott didn’t have to answer the questions. Just 10 days removed from his gut-wrenching collapse at the British Open, where he bogeyed the final four holes of the tournament to lose by a shot to Ernie Els, the 32-year-old was back in the hot seat at Firestone reliving one of the worst days of his professional career.

Most players in his position would’ve passed on the interview request or kept the answers to a minimum. But instead of closing up on Wednesday afternoon, he did the exact opposite, answering every question the assembled media threw at him with a thoughtful, honest answer.

To say it was refreshing would be an understatement. Yet here was Adam Scott, willing to rip off the band-aid, open the wound and go back through the gory details.

Seriously, who does that these days? You could probably count the number of athletes on one hand. In a sports world where everyone seems to put on a mask when the camera light flashes red and the questions start flying, Scott spoke like a guy who was talking to one of his closest friends.

“I really just felt a bit shocked and almost numb of feeling about it,” Scott said, discussing how he spent the days following the defeat. “I certainly didn’t beat myself up and have to curl up in a corner. The next few days were quiet, but they were just the same as after any other major. I pretty much find myself on the couch for about 48 hours after a major.”

This was suposed to be a memorable week for Scott, who came to Firestone as the defending Bridgestone Invitational champion following his impressive — and somewhat controversial — victory over one of the best fields in the sport.

However, Wednesday’s press conference was anything but a walk down memory lane. The only question on everyone’s mind was how Scott was feeling. Based on the answers he gave, it appears he’s going to be just fine after taking 48 hours to reflect and move on.

“There wasn’t that much healing for me,” Scott said. ” I mean, my game is in really great shape, and I just took a few days to rest up, and I certainly analyzed the last few holes a little bit and took out of it what I wanted and then just thought about how great I played. I felt like it was my week, and I played like a champion, but I just didn’t‑‑ I played four poor holes at the end, and you can’t win and do that.

“It’s just motivation for me. I think I’m right on the right track, keep doing what I’m doing and I can get myself more chances like that.”

Most guys would need months, if not years to get over what we went through. But here Scott was, head high looking towards the horizon. Give the guy a lot of credit, he could’ve taken the interview a different direction, deflecting questions and keeping it to Kiawah (where he played on Tuesday) and last year’s win.

He instead decided to look at the positives — like the fact that he was leading a major for 71 holes. For the first time in his career, Scott said he finally feels like he’s believing in his game on golf’s biggest stage — even if he let the last one slip away.

“Although I didn’t finish like a champion [two weeks ago], I have in the past at other tournaments, so I know I’ve got that in me. It’s just putting the pieces of the puzzle together, and I think [the belief now I have that I can actually win majors] might have been the last piece for me.”

Time will tell if that’s indeed the case. But the way Scott spoke, you get the feeling that what happened at Royal Lytham and St Annes won’t be has last opportunity to win a major. If anything, the difficult learning experience he endured could make him a better player and maybe, just maybe, a major winner in the near future.

Devil Ball Golf – Golf – Yahoo! Sports