Adam Scott conceded he could have been drawing a “long bow” but suggested the LIV effect may have contributed to wild scenes at last week’s Phoenix Open with crowd behaviour at golf tournaments taking a turn towards more regular rowdiness.
Gates were shut after more than 200,000 people attended Saturday’s play at the Waste Management Open, and beer sales stopped, with players including Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson clashing with crowd members who refused to be silent.
The interactions have not been limited to the PGA Tour either with monster LIV signing Jon Rahm taking some time to adapt to the Saudi-backed tour’s “golf but louder” motto, having also had to repeatedly ask for quiet at their last event in Las Vegas.
Watch every round of the PGA Tour LIVE & Exclusive on Fox Sports, available on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >
As he prepares to tee it up at a more subdued Riviera Country Club for the $30 million Genesis Invitational, which also marks Tiger Woods’ return to play, Scott even suggested last year’s crowds at the Australian Open and PGA could have been influenced by the rowdy nature of the LIV event in Adelaide last April.
“I think the Phoenix Open is sitting on it’s own as something like no other,” he said.
“I have only played it twice two years ago and last week, and there are so many people it’s just noisy, and there are distractions and everyone has got to deal with it.
“I haven’t really seen different behaviour elsewhere on the PGA Tour, although I would say the fans in Australia at the back end of last year were enthusiastic and maybe you could attribute that to the event in Adelaide and LIV.
“But that might be drawing a long bow.”
Scott also confirmed he had no Olympic ambition and would pass on a spot in Paris should he qualify.
While the spotlight is sure to be on 48-year-old Woods this week fellow veteran Scott, who is 43 and had to write a letter to tournament organisers to get an invitation in California, is adamant all the numbers around his game confirm he’s still “relevant”, especially at a course he last tasted victory in 2020.
A top-10 finish in Phoenix confirmed he could still compete, but Scott concedes he has to “adapt” to keep track with the raft of powerful young players on tour.
“Just comparing myself to some of the guys who are playing at the top of the game, if you’re looking at numbers and things like this, which we do a lot now, I think I’m relevant,” he said
“But the way I played golf 10 years ago is less relevant today then it was then and I need to adapt or they’ll pass me by. The young players are playing a powerful game and I need to stick with them.
“At the end of the day it’s about executing it and I obviously have to do a little better job to think I’m one of the best players in the world at the moment.”