Adam Scott is counting on even more hard work to help him convert Sunday heroics into a major championship title.
For a second straight year, 2011 runner-up Scott produced a great final round of the Masters.
His Masters’ personal best of six-under-par 66, including a hole-in-one on the 16th, was never going to threaten for the title but it did rocket him into a tie for eighth, guaranteeing his invitation to try again in 2013.
In contrast to 2011, Scott battled putting problems with his broomstick blade through the first three rounds before finding an answer on Sunday by holing out twice without using the putter in consecutive holes.
He aced the 16th with a precision seven iron and then chipped in on the 17th for another birdie to close out a seven-under run over his final 12 holes.
“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,” Scott said.
“I really feel comfortable coming out here. I feel like I have these kinds of rounds in me.
“This week I didn’t have a good pace on the greens; therefore, I hit a lot of good putts, I felt, that didn’t go in.
“And then hit a few bad ones and that’s costly at the end of the week because I think about my three putts.”
Scott said his red-hot round would further motivate him as he heads to South Korea to play the Ballantine’s Championship later this month before returning to the US tour for the Players Championship in May.
“Knowing I could’ve been right there, that’s the positive,” he said.
“I’ve got to make that a positive and 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.
“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 and you have got to make it happen somehow.”
Geoff Ogilvy (71) was the next best Australian in a tie for 19th at even-par while Aaron Baddeley (74) finished at five-over and tied 40th.
