No.1 Scott keen for major No.2

Adam Scott sees a chance to strike while the iron is hot and win major No.2 at Pinehurst No.2.

World No.1 Scott heads an 11-man Australian contingent at the US Open starting on the historic and revamped course in North Carolina on Thursday.

Having won three weeks ago in Texas then backed up by contending heavily at the Memorial in Ohio, the Queenslander is riding a wave of momentum into the season’s second major championship.

“I’ve done exactly what I needed to do,” Scott said.

“I had a feeling that I needed to play and that I could play my way into a bit of form and I’ve done that.

“So I’m going into Pinehurst really confident.

“I think I’ve got good momentum going into the major. I’ve just brought my game exactly where I want it to be.

“I’m swinging the club as good as I have this year and every other part of my game feels really good.”

The 33-year-old will need every aspect of his game firing as the US Open has traditionally been his weakest major.

While he has top three finishes at the other three big ones, including his Masters win at Augusta in 2013, his best US Open finish is a tie for 15th in 2012.

He has missed six cuts in 12 attempts and has rarely been a factor, including at the same venue in 2005 when he was tied 28th.

But with a redesigned Pinehurst this time providing a ‘rough-free’ US Open, instead relying on sandy waste areas off the fairways and tough turtleback greens, the changes could fit right into Scott’s wheelhouse.

“It presents a great challenge and I like the fact you can get a good break and get a clean lie in the waste areas or you might get a little unlucky and have to pitch back out,” he said.

“I tried not to play out of them too much in practice but certainly some areas have similarities to the sandbelt in Melbourne, although I’d say it is a little more severe here, this is the US Open after all.”

Countrymen Jason Day, John Senden, Matt Jones, Geoff Ogilvy, Oliver Goss, Brady Watt, Aaron Baddeley, Rod Pampling, Aron Price and Robert Allenby join Scott in the field.

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