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| Adam Scott will be out to avenge last year’s defeat in the Australian Open when he was pipped by a stroke by Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy. |
By JASON CLOUT - 12 NOV 2014
The return of Adam Scott will be the highlight of the Australian summer of golf with the world No. 2 looking to replicate his amazing form of 2013.
Scott won two out of three tournaments last year and was only pipped on the last hole at the Australian Open by Rory McIlroy. Had he claimed the Australian championship, Scott would have joined Robert Allenby in winning the so-called triple crown of Australian golf.
The Australian Masters is the first of the three tournaments and will be played at The Metropolitan Golf Club from November 20-23. The Metropolitan is one of Melbourne’s famous sandbelt courses.
It will be Scott’s third successive Masters, should he triumph at the Metropolitan, having won in 2012 and 2013, when he edged out Matt Kuchar of the United States.
The Australian Open to be played at the Australian Golf Club November 27-30 will be Scott’s chance to even the score with McIlroy, as both the young superstars will be in the field.
When he shot 62 in the first round last year, it seemed Scott had the championship in his grasp. But a last round 66 by McIlroy, including some remarkable play on the 18th hole, saw the Northern Irishman take the Australian Open by a stroke.
GOLD COAST DESTINATION FOR CHAMPIONSHIP
The last of the triple crown is the Australian PGA Championship, which will be held at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast between December 11-14.
Golf’s reputation as a sport which attracts the executive market is one reason companies such as Emirates and HSBC are involved. Emirates will once again be the major backer of the Australian Open, alongside its long-standing association with thoroughbred racing and its newly announced sponsorship of tennis in Australia.
Manager for sponsorships at Emirates Roger Duthie says golf is one of the truly global sports.
“Sport is important to the airline and golf is a big part of that,’’ says Duthie
It is also one of the few sports where it is possible to play with the world’s best at pro-ams.
Those days have become a fixture in many tournaments around the world, offering the chance to play a top course in the same group as a pro.
Duthie says golf fans are prepared to travel, another important consideration for the airline: “There’s a tourism impact as well because golfers will travel to play golf.’’
COURSE ALTERATIONS CHALLENGING
Golf officials are delighted about the prospects for the summer. Director of championships at Golf Australia Trevor Herden says one of the aspects of the intriguing clash between Scott and McIlroy at the Australian Open will be how they and the rest of the field deal with course alterations.
Herden says the first hole and the 14th have been converted from par fives to par fours for the championship. “We’ve made it a bit harder, It will be a par 70 course for the event,” he says.
There is good prize money on offer in Australia this year, such as the $1.25 million for the Open. But Herden says it is still a great show of faith that most of the top Australian players will be playing here over the next few weeks.
The overseas golfing tours like the US and Europe. where most of the top Australian players compete, take up most of the year. But instead of resting, most of the high-profile Australian golfers continue to support the local tournaments.
“It was wonderful when Adam Scott decided to play the three events. But it’s not just Adam, we’ve got just about all our best players coming back as well as some top golfers from overseas like Rory [McIlroy] and Jordan Spieth.”
Source:
http://www.afr.com/p/lifestyle/life_leisure/adam_scott_chases_triple_crown_in_jpGODL5EVo6yIQND1V7jfJ
