Strong Sunday charge makes Scott want to play again soon  PGATOUR.com Senior Correspondent KAPALUA, Maui -- Adam Scott is tempted to play again this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii instead of starting a much needed, self-induced off-season that he plans to extend to the Nissan Open, a stretch of five weeks. The No. 4 player in the world is tempted because he spotted Vijay Singh seven shots through the first four holes in the final round of the Mercedes-Benz Championship on Sunday and then nearly reeled in the feisty Fijian before ending up second, just two strokes behind. 
"There's always that feeling when you're playing well, like you should keep playing," said Scott, who won the final event of 2006, THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, to earn his trip to Kapalua Resort on Maui. "You have to take a break somewhere. I know it will feel good." It won't feel as good as if he had won the season-opening PGA TOUR event held exclusively for winners of the previous year. "Second does suck," he admitted, "but I try to take a positive out of every week." The positive from a week on Maui, besides the usual recreational and environmental attractions and distractions, was keeping his head in the game when throughout the tournament he found himself constantly having to claw his way back from early stumbles. Scott opened with a level-par 73 before three straight 69s gave him a 12-under 280 aggregate. He was four behind Singh after the opening round and still trailed by three after 54 holes. Then came Singh's fast Sunday start: birdies on the first two holes. Scott, meanwhile, bogeyed Nos. 2 and 4. The gap was seven strokes. "I got off to a slow start every day. It seemed until I got to the fifth nothing was really going, and that was not the start I was looking for, especially with Vijay getting off to a flyer," the 26-year-old Aussie said. "It was really a matter of just trying to get myself back on the leader board." He did that with five birdies over the next 10 holes that pulled him within three of Singh. "You don't ever throw in the towel ever, no matter what," he said. Singh was looking for a towel by the 16th as he no doubt was feeling the heat and some perspiration. While Singh, who twice finished second at Kapalua in the last three years, was saving par from off the green, Scott was nailing yet another birdie, this one from 10 feet. The deficit was two strokes. But there the rally ended. Singh posted routine pars at the final two holes while Scott provided necessary breathing room with a three-putt bogey at the 17th. His birdie attempt from 36 feet slid 3 1/2 feet by and he then meekly left the comeback try below the hole. "I just didn't trust it," he said. That was only one shot, but Scott leaves Kapalua Resort trusting that the hard work he has done the last month or more has put him in good position when he returns to action in Los Angeles. And he's in a good frame of mind, too, what with $630,000 to add to the bank account and a healthy 2,700 points logged in the new FedExCup competition. Remember, you have to look at the positives, and there were plenty. "I do enjoy the course. I've got a pretty good record here now," Scott said. "I think I've finished in the top 10 every time. It's a nice way to start the year for me. I like surfing, I come and play golf four days, no cut, 30 guys, a lot of prize money ... it's a good thing." Copyright 2007 PGATOUR.com. All rights reserved. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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