Adam Scott admits he nonetheless wants some “magnificence” within the ultimate spherical after qualifying for his third Australian PGA Championship, however he will not suppose an excessive amount of about successful a fifth straight title.
The previous world No. 1 and Masters champion briefly tied for the lead after compiling eight birdies and three bogeys with a 66 on Saturday, however completed at 11 beneath and entered the clubhouse in a tie for ninth place.
Minu Lee, Marc Leishman, Anthony Quayle, Spain’s David Puig and Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia occupy a crowded leaderboard, with all prone to end equal to or higher than the Scot.
Scott has 32 wins worldwide, however hasn’t gained a 72-hole occasion since successful the Genesis Invitational in 2020.
The 45-year-old is adamant there shall be extra to return and on Saturday gave sufficient proof to counsel a 3rd Kirkwood Cup is inside attain.
“It is onerous to complain about being 66,” he mentioned, later including that he wasn’t totally glad with the day.
“I’ve to have a extremely good spherical.
“If I can put myself on a robust entrance 9 and transfer my title as much as the highest with seven or eight to go, perhaps I can.
“However I additionally must tighten up. I am chasing. I am unable to stall. I am too bunched up. Tomorrow needs to be lovely.”
Scott completed 4 beneath by 9 holes earlier than a two-hour delay on account of rain, and birdie-birdie on the twelfth and thirteenth holes gave him a share of the lead at 12 beneath.
He bogeyed the subsequent gap and recovered one on the fifteenth, however he put his wedge right into a bunker on the par-3 seventeenth and narrowly missed his testing par putt.
“I am not going on the market excited about successful…it is about checking all of the bins and executing the issues within the field higher,” he mentioned of his thought course of.
“However I put myself in an honest place.”
