I have always been the greatest believer of momentum in golf. There have been cases of phenomenal turnaround in form in tournaments and fluke wins, but in most cases, sustained good form has led to titles, or a victory has led to consistent play for the next few events.
When a player hits a purple patch, they have got to make the most of it. And that is exactly what Adam Scott has done by winning the World Golf Championship-Cadillac Championship at the demanding Blue Monster on Sunday. In the last three weeks on the PGA Tour, Adam has finished second in Riviera at the Northern Trust Open, then won The Honda Classic and now this.
I have personally gone through such a phase a couple of times in my career, and I can vouch for the fact that the feeling of invincibility is exhilarating. In 2006, towards the end of the year, I played seven tournaments in eight weeks on the European, Asian and Japan Golf Tours. I won three, including the Volvo Masters at Valderrama, and finished inside the top-six in six of them.
It does amazing things to your confidence, and to your subconscious. You stand over the most difficult shots on the most difficult golf holes, and you just know that you can pull them off. And 99 per cent of the time, you actually do. Compare that to the periods when even the slightest of doubt enters your mind, and you can rest assured that the percentage of success drops drastically.
Unfortunately, for most players, such a run doesn’t last forever. But players like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy can stretch it for a protracted period, and I have always counted Adam too in that class. Right now, he is clearly the overwhelming favourite going into the Masters next month, and given how comfortable he has become at Augusta National, the task is cut out for players like McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson to stop the Aussie juggernaut.
The man to lose out on a golden opportunity on Sunday was McIlroy. It was not the kind of Sunday we are used to from the Northern Irishman, who rarely lets go of a lead on the final day. He was ahead by three shots, but could not do better than a two-over 74, which opened the door for Adam.
However, I am sure McIlroy still left Trump Doral with plenty of positives. The new grip, left hand down, while putting seems to be suiting him and he made a bunch of good putts in the first three days. Really, I have a feeling that he is building up steam, and what could be a better place for release than Augusta National in a month’s time!
(Jeev Milkha Singh is a four-time champion on the European Tour)
