Masters 2014: Scott 'hungry' to reach world's summit

Adam Scott is determined to stage a successful Masters defence and move to the top of the Official World Golf Ranking

Adam Scott
Adam Scott became the first Australian to win the Masters in 2013
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Defending Masters champion Adam Scott will move to world number one with a victory at Augusta National

Adam Scott is determined to stage a successful Masters defence and move to the top of the Official World Golf Ranking following an uncharacteristic final-round collapse at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Scott - who isn't in action this week - held a seven-shot 36-hole lead and stumbled to a closing 76 to miss out on the world number ranking - a position he's never occupied.

But Scott is bent on bouncing back from his squandered opportunity, and Tiger Woods' absence from the 78th Masters gives him a great chance.

With Woods expected to be out until the summer - possibly missing all the majors in 2014 - it appears to be Scott's time to seize the initiative.

He will, however, need to putt like he did at last year's Masters - a display that was very much at odds with his flat-stick prowess, or lack thereof, at Bay Hill.

"If nothing else, it's a good reminder on how much putting practice I need to do for going to the Masters and just how important it is," said Scott.

"If I think back to last year, I made every putt that you expect to in that last round and ultimately that's maybe what gave me the chance to win."

Scott - the first Australian to win the Masters - acknowledges that now is the time to realise his full potential and fulfil a lifetime dream.

"I feel like this should be the peak time in my career. I have got to create these chances more often and I've got to take them more often than I have. I've got to start closing at a better rate than ever before. So I'm very hungry."

On the prospect of becoming the first player since Tiger Woods in 2002 to defend the Masters, he added:

"Everyone is just so excited to go. We don't know what it's going to hold and it always producesa something.

"It will be exciting for me going there feeling like I'm playing pretty good. Who knows what can happen again?"

Nick Bonfield
Features Editor

Nick Bonfield joined Golf Monthly in 2012 after graduating from Exeter University and earning an NCTJ-accredited journalism diploma from News Associates in Wimbledon. He is responsible for managing production of the magazine, sub-editing, writing, commissioning and coordinating all features across print and online. Most of his online work is opinion-based and typically centres around the Majors and significant events in the global golfing calendar. Nick has been an avid golf fan since the age of ten and became obsessed with the professional game after watching Mike Weir and Shaun Micheel win The Masters and PGA Championship respectively in 2003. In his time with Golf Monthly, he's interviewed the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Jose Maria Olazabal, Henrik Stenson, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Billy Horschel and has ghost-written columns for Westwood, Wayne Riley, Matthew Southgate, Chris Wood and Eddie Pepperell. Nick is a 12-handicap golfer and his favourite courses include Old Head, Sunningdale New, Penha Longha, Valderrama and Bearwood Lakes. If you have a feature pitch for Nick, please email nick.bonfield@futurenet.com with 'Pitch' in the subject line. Nick is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade M1 Fairway wood: TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid: Ping Crossover Irons (4-9): Nike Vapor Speed Wedges: Cleveland CBX Full Face, 56˚, Titleist Vokey SM4, 60˚ Putter: testing in progress! Ball: TaylorMade TP5x