Goggin, Scott fire in Texas
25 April, 2008
Adam Scott was at home in Queensland last week, relaxing after a frustrating week at the Masters, when he decided he was playing too well to sit around doing nothing.
"I thought I should be back out on tour playing, rather than wasting my time at Sanctuary Cove, so I decided to come back. I entered right before the cut-off," Scott said after the first round at the Byron Nelson Championship Friday.
And the world No.10 was glad he made the decision to cut short his holiday after firing a stellar two-under-par 68 in tough, windy conditions at the Four Seasons TPC.
"I'm pretty happy with that round," said Scott, who recovered from an early double bogey to finish the day one stroke behind the leaders, fellow Australian Mathew Goggin and Americans Ryan Moore and Eric Axley.
Goggin, renowned as one of golf's best long game players after being ranked second in driving on the US Tour last year, had no complaints about the weather.
"It definitely suits my game a lot better to have tougher conditions," he said after picking up a hat-trick of late birdies.
"I prefer it to be windy than dead still and a putting competition because statistically putting is not the strongest part of my game, but ball-striking is, so any time you get a day like today it goes to my advantage. That's where I've done well in the past."
Goggin was only even par with five holes left, before rolling in two nice birdie putts at the next two holes, and two-putting his 16th.
Asked how highly he rated his score, on a course that has been extensively revamped since last year, he said: "It seemed pretty good when I was playing. The wind is so strong it's hard to get the ball pin high.
"It's supposed to be a brand new course and there's always a bit of a feeling-out period. They didn't give us much of a break with the tee placements or pin placements. I was really happy with three-under."
Goggin, 33, has quietly played well this year without making too many headlines, posting four top-20 finishes in his past six starts.
He has been in contention several times going into the final round, only to fade at the business end, a habit he obviously wants to fix sooner rather than later.
Best of the other Australians was the forgotten Mark Hensby on 69, while Stuart Deane, Michael Sim and Steve Allan carded 70s.
Masters champion Trevor Immelman cited fatigue after a woeful eight-over 78 that left the South African fourth last.
"I'm obviously real tired. I think I've just run out of gas," he said after a round that included a triple bogey.
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