Adam Scott packs belly putter for the Masters
Adam Scott is going to stick with his belly putter for the rest of the season. He thinks. Or maybe not.
After doing away earlier with the long putter that will be banned in 2016, Scott has decided to bring it back at the Masters this week.
Beyond that, he doesn’t know.
“Most likely, I think so,” said Scott, who won the 2013 Masters with a long putter. “It doesn’t mean I won’t work on other things or continue to develop some alternative method of putting. There is obviously a change being made at the end of the year.
“But I need to perform well. I want the confidence to build and go into next year fully confident no matter what I’m doing. I’ve got time up my sleeve and it’s a bit of a process. That’s fine.”
Scott played well with a short putter earlier this season, particularly at the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral, where he finished tied for fourth. But he missed the cut at the Valspar Championship and tied for 35th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, poor enough showings for him to run back to the belly putter that served him so well over the years.
“I’m coming to a major, I’m not here to throw the balls up in the air and see where they fall,” said Scott. “I want to make sure I give myself the best chance to perform at the highest level I need to win. Basically, that will be with the long putter because I’ve done more practice with it.”
Will Scott continue with the long putter in the other majors?
“No, I don’t really have a fixed idea on that,” said Scott. “I’ll probably sit here right now and say I would putt with the long putter. But like I said at Doral, I was sold on the short putter and there’s a million different options in between, as well. At the moment, I see myself with the long putter.”
Champions dinner menu
Defending champion Bubba Watson stuck with a familiar menu for Tuesday’s Champions Dinner. It’s the same one he offered after winning in 2012: Caesar salad, grilled chicken breast, green beans, mashed potatoes, corn, macaroni and cheese and cornbread, with a dessert of confetti cake with vanilla ice cream.
Crenshaw’s farewell
Ben Crenshaw, who will play in the Masters for a final time this week, will take Arnold Palmer’s place in Wednesday’s Par 3 Contest. Palmer is recovering from a shoulder injury, but still plans to server as an honorary starter Thursday morning with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. Crenshaw, 63, has played in 43 consecutive Masters, winning in 1984 and 1995. Only Palmer (50), Doug Ford (46) and Raymond Floyd (45) have more consecutive starts.
This story was originally published April 7, 2015 at 3:36 PM with the headline "Adam Scott packs belly putter for the Masters."