Adam Scott will take his perfect swing, calm demeanour and sense of style into his 100th golf major (and 99th consecutive) when he tees it up at the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club this week.
He will then head to New York in June to become just the second player behind the legendary Jack Nicklaus to rack up 100 consecutive majors.
He has risen from precocious star to Masters champion, to seasoned veteran – an Australian golfing icon.
We have charted Scott’s most memorable moments in each phase of his career.
His fourth major: Tied ninth at the 2002 US Masters
Scott lived up to the hype with four superb rounds to finish top 10 in his first time at Augusta. He was just 21 but played with the poise of a veteran as he carded four consistent rounds of 71,72,72 and 70 to earmark himself as a future star. Tiger Woods won by three shots.
15th: Tied ninth at the 2004 PGA Championship
Entrenched in the world’s top 10, and The Players’ Championship winner that year, his performance at majors had not matched his ranking. Although he moved no closer than five shots off the lead on the final day, the result built confidence in his game after missing two cuts and finishing tied for 42nd at the British Open in the other majors that year.
23rd: Tied third at the 2006 PGA Championship
He was accumulating a record befitting a player ranked in the top five. His third placing was his best finish in a major to that point in his career, with his silky swing finding solace at Medinah as he charged home with a final round of -5. Again, Woods was too good.
40th: Tied second at the 2011 US Masters
Having just taken up the broomstick putter, this was the first soul-crushing defeat for Scott at Augusta as he headed to the 17th tee with a one-shot lead. Dressed in all white and playing alongside compatriot Jason Day, Scott didn’t bank on South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel making birdie on each of the last four holes to record 66, the lowest round of the day, to win by two shots. “It’s just disappointing that I didn’t win when I held the lead with a few holes to go,” Scott said. “I’m usually a pretty good closer. I didn’t do a bad job but Charl was better.”
48th: Winner of the 2013 US Masters
Scott broke his duck in wet conditions to become the first (and still sole) Australian to win the Masters. If he was to play 100 majors for just one win (as he nearly has), winning at Augusta was the pick of the bunch. He showed grit to defeat Argentina’s Angel Cabrera in a second play-off hole after his one-shot lead evaporated when Cabrera birdied the last with an amazing approach. Scott’s emotional response when the putt on the 16th, and second play-off hole, dropped provided Australian sport with one of its most famous images.
50th: Tied third at the 2013 British Open
Halfway there and at the peak of his game in 2013, Scott went to the British Open hoping to ride momentum to victory and fell agonisingly short to record his fourth top-five finish in the past five majors. He gained the lead at the 11th on the final day but could not keep pace with the left-handed Phil Mickelson, who played the round of his career to win by three strokes. By contrast, Scott recorded four bogeys on the back nine to fall into third. “I let a great chance slip,” he said.
64th: Tied ninth at the 2017 US Masters
Having reached No.1 in the world for 11 weeks, Scott recovered from a poor opening round to sit three shots adrift of the lead heading into the final day. He had used up all his petrol tickets and recorded a lacklustre 73 to finish tied for ninth.
71st: Third at the 2018 PGA Championship
Back to back 65s on the Friday and Saturday saw Scott in contention as he trailed Brooks Koepka by just two shots as he teed off on the final day. But he could not make the putts he needed on the back nine to chase Koepka down. Scott still made 67 but was frustrated. “It’s not like I’ve forgotten what to do playing in the final group of a major,” Scott said.
86th: Tied 15th at the 2022 British Open
The veteran sat in the top 10 for most of the final three days to be near Cam Smith when the Australian broke through to win at St Andrews. Although never a serious chance, his second-round 65 saw him flying the flag on a great day for the Aussies.
97th: Tied 12th at the 2025 US Open
It was a devastating final round for Scott after he began day four in the final group, just one shot behind his playing partner Sam Burns. The pair fell apart in wild conditions to drop right out of contention as Scott carded a 79. But Scott reaffirmed his status as one of the game’s classiest players, putting his disappointment behind him to embrace the winner, J.J. Spaun.
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