Adam Scott nearly ends four-year drought at Genesis Scottish Open

It was going to be Adam Scott’s first TOUR title in four-plus years. He had answered the bell at every turn on the back nine Sunday at the Genesis Scottish Open, and most of his fellow contenders had faded away.

Then local favorite Robert MacIntyre snatched the title with an eagle at the par-5 16th and a 22-foot birdie at the par-5 18th, much to the crowd’s delight at The Renaissance Club.

Scott’s victory drought will extend another week, but there’s plenty for the classy Australian to feel good about as he heads to Royal Troon for The 152nd Open Championship. It’s his season-best finish by far (previously a T8 at the WM Phoenix Open in February), and he moves from No. 71 to projected No. 49 on the season-long FedExCup standings. The top 70 after next month’s Wyndham Championship will qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs; Scott now moves from the Playoffs bubble to a mostly safe bet.

And at age 43, he proves his game is still good enough to win on TOUR. Scott closed in 3-under 67 at The Renaissance Club to finish at 17-under 263, one stroke back of MacIntyre, who exacted revenge after a one-stroke defeat to Rory McIlroy a year ago at his home open. It’s his best TOUR finish since a playoff loss at the 2021 Wyndham Championship, with his last win coming at The Genesis Invitational in 2020, played at Los Angeles’ famed Riviera Country Club. That was his 14th PGA TOUR title, and he nearly made it 15.

Scott didn’t lose the Genesis Scottish Open. MacIntyre won it.

“There was a lot of good stuff for me this week,” Scott said afterward. “You know, it's hard to complain about anything … It’s the first time I've been in contention this year. I like where my game is headed … going into next week. Feel like I'm playing at a high level.

“I'm working at everything all the time, and trying not to get frustrated, and use that experience. It feels good to play in contention and hopefully I get another crack at it at The Open now.”

Scott shared third place into Sunday on the Scottish coast, three strokes back of 54-hole leader Ludvig Åberg, and he surged into serious contention with three consecutive birdies on Nos. 4-6. He suffered a blow at the par-4 eighth, playing ping-pong around the green en route to a double bogey, but he responded with birdies on Nos. 9, 12 and 14, then offset a bogey at the long par-4 15th with a tap-in birdie at the par-5 16th.

After a par at 17, Scott struck a 144-yard approach to 15 feet at the finishing hole, with a chance to post 18 under and force MacIntyre’s hand at the last. Scott couldn’t convert, leaving the door open for MacIntyre’s heroics that instantly cemented themselves in Scottish golf lore.

“Sitting around all morning, I thought I was going to have to shoot like 8-under to have a chance and then it got quite tricky out there,” Scott said. “I really like what happened with my game out there this week. I'm disappointed to not get a crack at the end. I had a chance with the putt on the last and went right and I read it straight.

“You know, pleased for Bob. This is a big win. I played with him yesterday, and you can hear them singing over there. I think that's awesome for him, and hopefully I can take some good form into next week.”