Adam Scott has won the Masters, conquered THE PLAYERS Championship, and spent time atop the world rankings. But six years after his last PGA Tour victory, the Australian is running out of patience with a drought that has outlasted several promising runs.
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A bogey-free 6-under 65 at the Baycurrent Classic on Saturday moved the 46-year-old to 12-under, just one shot behind the leaders at Yokohama Country Club. With a long-awaited return to the winner’s circle suddenly within reach, Scott made no attempt to hide his frustration.
“It’s been like six years since I’ve won on the PGA Tour. I’m frustrated by that,” Scott admitted after his third round.
His last title came at the 2020 Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, where he won by two strokes. Since then, the 14-time Tour winner has produced stretches of impressive golf without finding the finish he wants.
“I feel like there’s been some good golf in there and I haven’t made the most of it,” he added, while acknowledging just how difficult winning on the modern PGA Tour has become.
Saturday offered a reminder that Scott still has the shot-making to change that narrative. He carded two eagles on the front nine, first pitching in at the par-5 sixth before holing out from around 97 yards at the par-4 ninth. The latter was particularly satisfying because it unfolded almost exactly as planned.
Scott wanted to land his approach just left of the pin and let it spin toward the hole. The ball obliged, turning a routine wedge shot into another eagle and helping him post one of the lowest rounds of the day.
The score could have been even better. Scott said he missed a few putts he had been making earlier in the week and would have liked to convert more chances down the stretch. Still, a bogey-free 65 was hardly cause for complaint.
“It would be nice just to win anything, to be honest with you, at this point,” he said, summing up the urgency behind Sunday’s opportunity.
Scott has already come close twice this season, finishing fourth at the Genesis Invitational in February and at the Cadillac Championship in May. Japan now offers another chance to turn contention into a trophy.
The task, however, is far from simple. Scott enters the final round at 12-under in a five-way tie for fourth, alongside Justin Thomas, Jordan Smith, Stephan Jaeger and Keith Mitchell. Jacob Bridgeman, rookie Zach Bauchou and Michael Brennan share the lead at 13-under, with defending champion Xander Schauffele four shots off the pace in a tie for 12th.
With eight players separated by a single stroke, Scott knows a strong round alone may not be enough. His objective is simple: “Go out and have a fantastic round and hopefully it’s better than everyone else.” Six years of frustration have left him with one more round to make that happen.