AKRON, Ohio — After squandering what looked to be an insurmountable lead at the British Open 10 days ago, Adam Scott retreated to his home in the Swiss Alps.
There, Scott was alone with his thoughts — and his disappointments. But Scott didn't grow a beard and cut off the outside world. Instead, he fielded a steady stream of calls, text messages and emails from friends.
"To be honest, I really just felt a bit shocked, almost numb," Scott said. "I certainly didn't beat myself up and have to curl up in the corner."
Scott bogeyed the last four holes of The Open at Royal Lytham. He missed a 7-foot putt on the 18th that would have forced a playoff.
Lots of people felt his pain.
Though Ernie Els, the beneficiary of Scott's misses, won his fourth major, he said he hurt for Scott.
Greg Norman, Scott's close friend and someone who'd been there, was among those who called. A text came from Rory McIlroy, who experienced a final-round meltdown of his own at the 2011 Masters.
"Some of the people, I don't know how they got my number, actually," Scott said. "It really made the next few days good for me because it was very nice to have that kind of support. It made those few days much easier."
Thinking about what's next has pushed Scott to put behind whatever hangover or disappointment might be lingering. This week, he's focused on defending his title at the World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational. Next week brings another shot at a major, the PGA Championship.
Scott is thinking less about his latest major setback and more about a major comeback. That word, major, keeps popping up.
Scott said he started playing again late last week after taking three days off, then earlier this week flew to South Carolina for "a couple of rounds" at Kiawah Island, site of the PGA Championship.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. A stellar field and an $8.5 million purse await at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, and Scott said getting back to business will be the best way to put it behind.
He's thinking about it, but he's thinking positively.
"The last couple years, I've changed my schedule a lot to try and make myself a contender in majors," Scott said. "For 10 years I wasn't. That's pretty clear. And the last two years I think my results have improved dramatically.
"That's really the reason I'm playing is to win some majors. That's what we're identified by at the end of our careers. How successful you were is how many majors you won. For me, (Royal Lytham) might have been the proof that I need. I think the way I look at it was that was the proof that I'm good enough to win major championships."
Scott is sixth in the latest World Golf Rankings. He'd slipped to 17th — his lowest since the week before he won at Firestone Country Club last summer — after a disappointing showing at The Memorial in June, but he finished third at the AT&T National before The Open.
Scott led wire to wire at Firestone last year, opening with a 62 and cruising to a four-shot victory. Being back in familiar surroundings could be good for both his game and his psyche.
"It's not horrible, like I don't know how to play golf anymore," Scott said. "It was just four holes that I'll have to learn from and be tougher on myself next time I'm in that position, for sure.
"There wasn't that much healing for me. I mean, my game is in really great shape, and I just took a few days to rest up, and I certainly analyzed the last few holes a little bit. I felt like it was my week, and I played like a champion, but I just didn't finish.
"It's motivation for me. I'm on the right track."
