Adam Scott admits he’s playing this week partly to enjoy teeing up as the world’s new No.1 ranked golfer and partly to prolong the experience.
Scott was at home in the Bahamas when the rankings clicked over on Monday and he ousted Tiger Woods, who was also out of action as he recuperates from back surgery.
But, after deliberately talking down the top spot for weeks, Scott is now ready to declare just how much it means.
“It’s quite incredible really to sit here as the number one golfer in the world,” said Scott at the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Forth Worth, Texas.
“Honestly when I turned professional it seemed quite unrealistic to think about the number one spot.
“It certainly felt somewhat unattainable throughout the early 2000s (when Woods was dominating) that’s for sure.
“I probably downplayed the rankings for the last few months to take some pressure off myself but Monday morning when it was official I had a better sense of the achievement.
“It is an amazing accomplishment and I am going to have to work pretty hard to stay on top.
“Part of coming here this week was to play as the number one golfer in the world and enjoy it for at least a week and from there we will see what happens.”
Had Scott not teed it up this week he could have easily been a one-week wonder at No.1.
And, if he fails to play well, he could still be overtaken by either Swede Henrik Stenson or American Matt Kuchar.
Stenson is playing in the European Tour’s BMW PGA Championship in England and anywhere inside the top 20 could have him leapfrog Scott, depending on the Australian’s finish in Texas.
Kuchar is playing in Texas with Scott but would need a win to be in the mix.
Scott believes he is prepared to handle the pressure of being No.1.
“I didn’t focus on the rankings the last couple of months and tried to downplay it and just get on with playing and I think that’s what I need to do now,” he said.
“There is a lot to achieve still this year. We are in the lead up to the next major championship, which is a big focus for me.
“Getting into a little playing rhythm is going to be good for me the next couple of weeks before a week off heading into the US Open.”
Should Scott win this week he will become the first player to ever claim victory in all four US PGA Tour Texas events, having previously won the Texas Open (2010), Houston Open (2007) and Byron Nelson Championship (2008).
Greg Chalmers, Rod Pampling, Steven Bowditch, Robert Allenby, Matt Jones, John Senden, Geoff Ogilvy, Marc Leishman and Aaron Baddeley join Scott in the field.