Masters winner Scott looking for solid return

MASTERS champion Adam Scott admits he has been “floating in the clouds” since his victory at Augusta but has shunned celebrations in his native Australia as he focuses on trying to win more major titles.

Scott returns to action at The Players Championship at Sawgrass today, almost a month after his memorable victory over Angel Cabrera on the second play-off hole.

The 32-year-old has been overwhelmed by the reaction to his first major triumph, which came nine months after he squandered a four-shot lead with four to play in the Open Championship at Royal Lytham.

Australian prime minister Julia Gillard was among those to congratulate Scott on becoming the first man from Down Under to win a Green Jacket, but plans for a celebration back in Adelaide have been put on hold.

“I was very tempted to go home but I talked it over with the people around me and we are in the middle of the year,” said Scott. “It’s a cause for celebration but we have a plan in place and hopefully it’s not going to stop with the Masters.

“I want to keep focused and try to make this my biggest year yet. I think we can rustle up some celebrations when I get home at the end of the year.

“I’ve had a really nice break, which I had planned anyway, but it was even better because I was floating around on the clouds the last three weeks. It’s been an overwhelming time for me, so many people reached out to me, I was blown away.

“I put the clubs away for a week longer than I normally would to just unwind and get away, but the last week I had Brad [Malone], my coach, back with me on the range, we quickly got back into it and after a couple of days the swing was still feeling good.

“You get itchy feet and are ready to get back out here and compete and I am looking forward to this week. Hopefully, I can take my head out of the clouds, come back down to earth and play some good golf.”

The world No  3 had looked set to break his major duck at Lytham last year, only to bogey the last four holes to finish a shot behind Ernie Els, who birdied the 18th.

But he used that as motivation for the rest of the season and carried that into this year’s Masters.

“The Open was obviously a disappointing loss but it was a motivator and Bridgestone [the WGC Invitational] and the US PGA were just around the corner,” Scott added. “I felt I had never swung the club as good as I did at The Open. It was a chance for me to go out at the PGA and right the wrong of Lytham.

“This [winning the Masters] is a motivator too. Hopefully come tomorrow I will be able to land my feet on the ground and keep this going because it could be the start of a great year for me.”