Adam Scott upbeat ahead of US Open

Adam Scott is full of confidence heading into the US Open at Pinehurst No. 2 following a fruitful month

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Adam Scott is full of confidence heading into the US Open at Pinehurst No. 2 following a fruitful month

Adam Scott is full of confidence heading into the US Open at Pinehurst No. 2 following a fruitful month.

Scott has maintained his good form since being named number one, winning at Colonial, Texas and tying for fourth at the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago. Of the nine events that he has played in this season, he has finished in the top 10 five times and the top 25 eight times.

Scott believes that he will be able to maintain his confidence and momentum in the US Open, a tournament which has troubled him throughout his career. He has yet to finish in the top 10 in the 12 years that he has participated in the US Open.

"I'm playing really well," Scott said. "I think I've got good momentum going into the major, absolutely."

Scott's consistency, especially in recent majors, brought him to his current position. Since winning The Masters in 2013, he has continued to place near the top of almost every event that he has participated in.

"It's been a lot of work the last couple of years to play this consistent, to bring my game to the level of where I really wanted in the big events, and to maintain it you've got to continue to have that drive," he said.

While Pinehurst may not feature the deep rough that the US Open is known for, accuracy and short game will be key to success in this event. The course features lightning fast fairways, funnelling balls into hazards such as scrub brush, pine straw and wire grass. Pinehurst is also known for its severely crowned greens, making consistent approaches a must.

Scott recently played Pinehurst in preparation for the tournament, and was impressed by the recent course redesign.

"I already had a great idea that it's a fantastic golf course but obviously very different than nine years ago when I was here last at the US Open," Scott said. "They've done a beautiful job of restoring this golf course."

This Pinehurst course is vastly different than the one that gave Payne Stewart his final tour victory in 1999, or the one that Michael Campbell won on in 2005. The new course design is just one of many unique story lines surrounding the 2014 US Open, which Adam Scott and the rest of the field will hope to take advantage of next weekend.

Mike Smith is an American undergraduate student studying journalism and political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is spending the summer living in London, studying British life and culture and working for Golf Monthly. He is excited to gain international working experience, as his career goal is to work in sports journalism.