Putting frustrations threatened to spoil Adam Scott’s mood and his opening round before he turned things around to charge into the Australian Masters lead on Thursday.
The Australian world No.5 golfer picked up five shots on the homeward nine to end with a five-under-par opening-round 67 at Melbourne’s Kingston Heath.
It was enough to give him a one-shot lead after the morning players completed their rounds, although the event’s past two champions, Englishman Ian Poulter and Australia’s Stuart Appleby, were among those still on the course.
Scott, who started on the 10th hole, did not manage a birdie until the 16th and gave that shot back two holes later with a bogey he said stemmed from frustration at the continued failure of putts to drop.
“I just hit a few shots in there nice and close and had some chances but lipped out the putts, then missed a real short one on 18 out of frustration,” Scott said.
He admitted to thinking “Here we go again” after having a similarly-difficult time on the greens last week in Singapore.
But a run of four straight birdies on holes one to four, including sinking a huge birdie with his much-discussed long putter on the second, gave his scorecard and mindset a significant boost.
“I made a great putt on two and another good one on four then I was rolling from there,” he said.
“I hit a couple of nice shots and had a couple of short birdie chances too, so it was all really solid stuff.”
Scott felt a score of nine or 10-under might have been possible in the benign conditions but was happy with his position.
“I’m on my way there,” he said.
Sharing second spot on four-under were NSW veteran Peter O’Malley, Tasmanian pair Kalem Richardson and Craig Hancock and Queenslander Rika Batibasaga, all in the clubhouse.
Queensland’s Matthew Guyatt had joined them on that score 10 holes into his round.
Scott’s playing companions, Irish 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell and 18-year-old West Australian amateur Oliver Goss both shot one-under.
Two-time Masters champion Robert Allenby carded a one-over-par 73.
Apart from Guyatt, Poulter was among the best-placed of those still out on the course, on two-under after seven holes, with Appleby one-under at the same stage.
