Adam Scott’s recent success comes with assist from longtime friend Trevor Immelman

MONTREAL – Memories are a little fuzzy when you’re thinking back nearly 30 years and sifting through the thousands of golf swings and hundreds of tournaments that have composed an outsized portion of your existence.

Adam Scott remembers when he first saw Trevor Immelman, though.

It was the 1997 U.S. Junior Amateur at Aronimink Golf Club outside Philadelphia. Both players had made transcontinental journeys to get there. Scott was one of the best players in the field, but even he felt light-years behind Immelman who was, by Scott’s estimation, “probably the best junior golfer in the world.”

“He'd been this guy that we'd all heard about,” Scott said. “This is in the '90s, you know, and it was before like real internet and certainly social media. So like it was the myth, here he was, actually there.”

Scott gawked at Immelman’s swing and maturity, likening him to a “shrunken tour pro.” Scott finished second in the 36-hole stroke play portion of the event but lost in the Round of 32. Immelman made it all the way to the final, losing the championship match to Jason Allred.

Scott smiled as he recalled the moment. It’s funny what the mind holds onto for decades. They traveled on parallel paths for many of the ensuing years, turning pro within a year of each other and quickly becoming close friends. They lived in London and traveled the DP World Tour together, commiserating over missed cuts and celebrating their successes as they both strove to become great.

The two have only grown closer with age, but their relationship has taken on a new, professional dynamic in the last year. With Scott’s form in decline last year, he brought in Immelman as an advisor. A trusted voice to help with his swing, strategy and everything in between. It’s a unique dynamic – Immelman, a Masters champion and analyst for CBS, now advising one of his contemporaries while captaining him in team events and commentating on him at week-to-week TOUR stops. Immelman is a captain’s assistant for Mike Weir in this week’s Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club after leading the International Team two years ago at Quail Hollow.

“We have a relationship where if he tells me I'm out of my mind then I can respect that and kind of park that idea to the side,” Scott said. “It's a nice story for both of us and both our families. We've known each other for a long time; now we have an even closer relationship and share this, and I mean it's very informal … but I think it works well because we know each other well.”

While they’re still settling on an exact title for an informal role that is an outgrowth of their close friendship, no one can question the results. Scott arrives at Royal Montreal as perhaps the hottest player on the International Team. He posted five consecutive top-20 finishes to conclude the FedExCup season, including runners-up at the Genesis Scottish Open and BMW Championship. His T10 at The Open Championship was his first top-10 in a major in five years.

After failing to qualify for last year’s FedExCup Playoffs, he finished fourth in this year’s FedExCup to match his career-best finish. He’s back inside the top 20 of the world ranking for the first time since late 2020, as well.

“Would I even call myself a coach? I don't even know,” Immelman said. “I see myself as a really close friend of his. He's somebody that I trust, and I believe that I'm somebody that he trusts. We're going to be there for each other, and I just want to see him play great golf and have fun.”

Whatever Immelman’s title may be, there’s no questioning his knowledge about the game, especially the golf swing. He was a protégé of David Leadbetter growing up, then worked with Chris Como later in his career.

Immelman’s knowledge is why Scott, displeased with his form, called him last year. At age 44, Scott still felt he could contend and win PGA TOUR events and major championships. Time was not on his side, however. Who better to take a look at his game than his friend who has watched every iteration of Scott’s career evolution?

Immelman analyzed Scott’s swing and compared it to previous versions, hoping they could channel what worked previously. He gave a few tips but has largely let Scott drive the relationship. Scott will run ideas and tweaks by Immelman every so often. They’ll text back and forth ahead of tournaments, and with Immelman out on TOUR about 15 weeks a year for his CBS duties, the two regularly meet to discuss developments in person.

“I really just look for the different trends and patterns in his game and then find the right time to let him know about it,” Immelman said. “You start to really create your own language to where you understand what each person means and is thinking and saying, and once you get to that point you just need the little spark of confidence.”

That came at the WM Phoenix Open. Scott wasn’t feeling great about his game but managed to make the cut on the number, then shot 65-66 to finish T8. That provided proof of concept. He and Immelman met up again before the U.S. Open, where the South African really started to see Scott’s game click.

The two begin this Presidents Cup with vastly different roles that hold similar importance. Immelman has played an instrumental part in cultivating the team’s unity and recent competitive form. That continues this year, albeit as a captain’s assistant.

Scott, meanwhile, enters the event with the best form of any International player. Playing his 11th Presidents Cup, he will be instrumental to the International Team’s hopes. He’s experienced all of the Presidents Cup heartbreak from the last 20 years, as has Immelman.

The two walked Royal Montreal Golf Club’s front nine on Tuesday. This time, their roles reversed. The South African stood off to the side, splitting his time between his various roles – Presidents Cup captain’s assistant, swing analyst and friend – but watched Scott with the child-like gaze that hasn’t left in three decades.

“It takes someone extremely special and in a lot of ways different to be able to hold that high form for such a long period of time,” Immelman said.

Another memory made.