Adam Scott upbeat about Players Championship

Elated after making a strong start to the 2008 PGA Tour, former winner Adam Scott of Australia was in upbeat mood for this week’s Players Championship.

The 28-year-old from Adelaide won his sixth title on the world’s most competitive circuit earlier this month and has not finished worse than joint 25th in seven starts.

“I’m very excited about playing this week,” Scott, the world number three, told reporters on the eve of Thursday’s opening round at the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass. “I’m in pretty good form so I’m looking forward to it.

“Ever since winning, I’ve loved coming back here,” he added, referring to his triumph in 2004 when he became the tournament’s youngest champion aged 23.

“I loved coming here before winning but it’s a pretty special place to win on Tour. There aren’t too many tournaments like it. To get one under my belt here early was incredible.”

Scott ended a PGA Tour victory drought of more than a year by winning the Byron Nelson Championship 10 days ago, sinking a 49-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole.

“Until I won in Dallas, it was a little disappointing because I felt like I’ve been playing well (this season) but not quite putting it all together,” he said.

“I had a lot of good finishes but not quite at the top. Dallas just pointed out to me that I’ve been doing all the right stuff and I just had to be a little patient for the results to come.

“This is turning out to be my most consistent season.”

Tipped from a young age as a future world number one, Scott said he was satisfied with his career so far.

“I do pretty well by my own expectations, other than the fact that I haven’t won a major,” he added. “I can walk along knowing that I’m living up to my own expectations. I think I’m doing okay.”

Scott is scheduled to tee off in Thursday’s opening round in the company of Americans Jim Furyk and Johnson Wagner.