By Tony Jimenez
LYTHAM ST ANNES, England, July 22 (Reuters) – Adam Scott
denied his remarkable late collapse was down to nerves after
tossing away his chance of British Open glory with four bogeys
in the last four holes in Sunday’s closing round.
The 32-year-old Australian began the day four strokes clear
of the field and maintained that cushion over his title rivals
with six holes to play before his late blunders handed victory
to South African Ernie Els.
“I was surprisingly calm the whole way round,” world number
13 Scott told reporters after his five-over 75 gave him a
six-under tally of 274 at Royal Lytham St Annes, one behind
42-year-old Els.
“I was a little nervous on the first tee but less so than
yesterday. I probably spent up all my nerves over the 24 hours
leading up to playing today.
“It’s funny, I definitely worked myself up a little bit at
times, but once I was out there I felt completely in control and
even the last few holes I didn’t really feel like it was a case
of nerves or anything like that,” added Scott.
“It came down to hitting the ball, not making a couple of
putts on the last four holes. If I make either of those on 15 or
16 it’s a very different position and a lot more comfortable.”
A three-foot par-saving effort by Scott agonisingly lipped
out at the 16th before he hooked his approach into thick rough
at the 17th and failed to hole out from 25 feet.
Then, at the final hole, he found a deep bunker off the tee
and could only move his ball a few yards forward. Bravely, he
struck a sumptuous approach to eight feet but his putt rolled
past the hole.
Continued…
