Behind the Lleyton Hewitt friendship driving Adam Scott towards his second major win

2 hours ago 2

A famous victory at the US Masters 12 years ago was Adam Scott’s first major win, and only one so far.

But in his only one-on-one interview during the Australian summer of golf, the 45-year-old insists he can win another, and says an unlikely friendship with Australian tennis great Lleyton Hewitt continues to drive him.

Lleyton Hewitt and Adam Scott struck up a friendship while both lived in the Bahamas.

Scott, who competed strongly through the Australian summer, has just walked off the 18th hole after winning his second Cathedral Invitational trophy. He sets the trophy down on a wooden bench beside him and explains the Hewitt connection.

The pair lived in the Bahamas for several years, where the tennis courts and golf course shared real estate.

It was the early 2010s. Scott, then in his early 30s, was about to explode on the world stage. But Hewitt was slowing down. He had just endured a decade without winning a title and his body was beginning to give way.

Scott and Hewitt became friends. Hewitt was a single-figure golfer, and Scott enjoyed tennis. On rare occasions when Hewitt was desperate, Scott would stand in the corner of a tennis court and try to get balls back to him.

Adam Scott being interviewed by Sam McClure at Cathedral Golf Course.

“I didn’t get a lot back,” Scott said with a smile.

“I was really close with Lleyton at that point of his career. Mentally, he still really had it. Physically, he was battling badly.

“I just admired his fight and determination so much. And at that time, I was at my best. Watching him work so hard, it really inspired me. I was in my prime.

“I need to be out here longer than him. If I’m walking off the putting green, and he’s still hitting tennis balls, there’s something wrong. So that was really inspiring.”

Adam Scott with the Cathedral Invitational trophy.

Hewitt was a Wimbledon and US Open champion who, at his best, could beat anyone. His key attributes were his tenacity and mental toughness. With Scott now in his mid-40s and striving for another major victory, he’s trying to replicate the same gritty mindset.

“It’s easy to hit a few less balls on the range, or a few less chips, or a few less putts. But I know it’s not going to get me the result that I want,” Scott said.

“Remembering things like that, with Lleyton, is really important. Physically, I’m still able. I’m not giving up much to say, Rory [McIlroy], or any of the younger players.”

This summer Scott has finished seventh at Australian PGA in Queensland and fifth in the Australian Open in Melbourne before leading from start to finish at the Cathedral Invitational, ahead of the likes of Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert.

“Winning is hard,” Scott told this masthead as he sat beside his trophy, overlooking the rolling hills north-east of Melbourne.

“There’s a real art in golf to getting confidence from not winning. It’s hard to fake confidence of winning, but somehow you need to grow in confidence even with indifferent results. ”

Scott has been one of the most successful golfers of his generation. According to his official PGA statistics, of his 425 events played since joining the PGA Tour in 2003, he’s finished top three 43 times, top five 65 times and top ten 115 times.

He’s won 14 times on tour, but none since the Genesis Invitational in 2020.

“It’s a really interesting thing with golf. Tiger [Woods] was winning at a 33 per cent clip for 10 years. That’s 33 per cent!” Scott said.

“In most sports, at 33 per cent; you’re no good. But that’s the greatest player ever. So it’s a completely different focus in golf. But in saying that, we all just want to win. That’s how we judge ourselves … maybe unfairly.”

At a gala dinner before the Australian Open, Scott was asked by host Gerard Whateley about the prospect of playing his 100th consecutive major next year.

Scott smiled and took a breath. “One win in 100 doesn’t sound great but two in 100 sounds a lot better,” he said, getting a laugh from the crowd.

Scott laughed, too, but he wasn’t joking.

“In my head, it’s unlikely that I just pop up and win a major out of the blue. It’s possible, of course, you just never know, but it’s unlikely. So many players are so solid now,” he said.

“For me, the way to win another major, there’s a process. And it’s going to be stacking up good results over some period of time, let’s just say the first three months of next year, to have the confidence to know I can do it down the stretch of one of the biggest events.

“I’ve been grinding all year looking for better results, and they finally happened. I’ve got to pick it up in the new year and be in the same mindset and keep chipping away at good results, hopefully wins.

“But that’s how you have the confidence to know when it comes time at the Masters or the US Open, or any of them, that you really are going to have a chance to contend.”

Scott has now won back-to-back events at Cathedral, having held off Cam Smith in the first year and Leishman last week.

“It is beautiful here. This really is Australia, and I don’t get to spend enough time in Australia, so waking up here a couple of mornings a year is so good,” Scott said.

“The golf is the golf, but I just think it’s a magic place.”

News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.