Scott Seeks McIlroy Sydney Pairing

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Adam Scott is pleading with organisers of the Australian Open to play in the same group as Rory McIlory at this year’s tournament in Sydney.

Twelve months ago Scott missed the chance to win his own national championship when an error on the final hole allowed McIlroy to take the title by a single shot.

The duo, now ranked No 1 and No 2 in the world, tee-up again this year when the event starts on November 27.

And Aussie Scott believes he and the Ulsterman should be paired together for the opening two rounds.

Scott said: "I believe the organisers should take advantage and put Rory and myself together because it does happen occasionally at US Opens where they pair the players according to their rankings.

"It's not often we have the world’s number one and number two ranked players in the same tournament in Australia"

"It's not often we have the world’s number one and number two ranked players in the same tournament in Australia and it would be fun to do, and I would certainly enjoy that."

Regarding last year’s slip up at Royal Sydney, where Scott bogeyed the 72nd hole which McIlroy birdied, he went on: "It annoyed me for a little while.

"To mess up on the very last hole of the last of the four tournaments I played back home last year was very, very frustrating."

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Rory McIlroy Feels Guilt

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Rory McIlroy showed sympathy for Adam Scott after snatching the Australian Open title from under his nose.

Scott was seeking a rare Australian triple crown, after winning the PGA and Masters titles, and he had been in front for just about the whole tournament at Royal Sydney.

But a couple of mistakes at the 72nd hole, combined with a McIlroy birdie, meant the Northern Irishman ended a year-long wait for a title.

He had started the day four strokes behind Scott and led for the only time when he holed his winning putt on the final green, Scott having been in command since opening with a round of 62.

"It's hard not to feel some sort of guilt in the way that I won it," said McIlroy, whose last win was in Dubai in November last year.

"Adam is a phenomenal golfer, a great competitor and probably an even better guy. I feel a bit sorry that I was the one that ruined the triple crown for him but I'm happy and Adam should be proud of himself. He's a credit to the game and to this country.

"It's been a frustrating year but I've worked hard and it's been a process, trying to get back to winning golf tournaments, and it was nice to do that today.

"I just sort of stayed patient, I knew that anything can happen on this golf course, if you just hit it into a tricky spot like Adam did on 18.

"Luckily I was just able to make that putt at the end when I needed it.

"It's a very prestigious tournament and I am honoured to have my name on the trophy. I'm sure there is a lot of proud people who watched that today.

"I think I am more experienced and more patient now. I'm not getting as down on myself or not being as hard on myself because golf is a long career and you can't have too many highs and lows in terms of emotions.

"You've just got to try and keep it on an even keel and I feel like I've done a better job of that this year as the months have gone past.

"You know you have to go through the lows. And I'm not saying it was a low this year, it's not like I plummeted off the face of the earth.

"I'm still sixth in the world so it's not too bad. It's not the level that I feel like I can play to but I feel I'm getting back there, so it's very pleasing."

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McIlroy Fires 65 in Sydney

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Rory McIlroy started a fight back at the Emirates Australian Open as the weather took a turn for the worst and the golf heated up at Royal Sydney Golf Club.

Starting the day seven shots off leader Adam Scott, Rory McIlroy opened with a birdie to set the tone for his day.

“When you see someone like that at the top of the leaderboard already with a low score, it's tough not to think about it,” said McIlroy of Scott.

“It's tough not to sort of press the issue and try and make birdies to catch up with them right away but golf tournaments are long, they're four days, 72 holes and there's a lot of time to chip away at those leads.”

McIlroy fired a 7-under par 65 to tie Scott’s lead with the Masters champion playing in the afternoon field.

“I feel like I'm playing well. I'm hitting the ball well off the tee and giving myself plenty of chances. It was good to see a few more putts go in today,” added McIlroy.

“As I've said for the last few weeks, the game is feeling much better and I'm much more comfortable with it.”

Also firing a 7-under 65 to jump up the leaderboard was Leigh McKechnie who after the morning field of the second round was tied sixth on 6-under the card.

Richard Green enjoyed his round at Royal Sydney which was highlighted by a hole in one on the par-3 6th hole.

“That shot on the par 3 sixth today was a flush golf shot. It's nice to build a bit of confidence from hitting good shots again,” said Green who achieved the feat using an 8-iron.

“I love coming to Royal Sydney. It's my favourite course up here. I've done well here before. It fits my game, how far I hit the golf ball at least.”

Green followed up his ace with two consecutive birdies to finish at 6-under 66 in the second round and move up the leaderboard to be outright third on 9-under the card.

“It was a very nice day. I've been struggling a little bit of late with my game and changed a few things, changed my clubs, changed my driver; just about everything this week and it's just started to show some good signs again,” added Green.

“I haven't hit shots like I have the last two days for a long time, probably about three years.”

Amateur Ryan Ruffles had an impressive 5-under 67 to counteract his 5-over the card first round. While still early in the second round he looks to have done enough to have secured him a start on the weekend.

It was a tough day on course for defending champion Peter Senior. With two double bogeys, a further five bogeys and no birdies Senior finished the day 9-over the card and 11-over for the 2013 Emirates Australian Open.

Adam Scott though continued his command of the Australian summer of golf taking a two shot lead over McIlroy into the third round of the Emirates Australian Open.

Playing in challenging weather condition, Scott followed up his course record first round with a 2-under 70 at Royal Sydney.

“It was a tough afternoon. There was plenty of good stuff in there but I made a few mistakes in the tricky conditions,” said Scott.

“It was going to be a day where you just have to hang on. It was at times really difficult and I think I held it together pretty well.”

The dream run continues for the PGA Tour of Australasia with Adam Scott and Rory McIlory paired together for the third round.

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Scott 62 Ends McIlroy Hopes

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Rory McIlroy, trying to win for the first time this year, shot 69, seven behind Scott at the Emirates Australian Open at Royal Sydney Golf Club in Rose Bay. 

The Northern Irishman made the turn at two-under, bogeyed 11 and 12 but had three birdies in his final seven holes, including on the 18th. But it all needed 29 putts and afterwards Rory admitted he was disappointed at his return.

"I drove the ball pretty well off the tee but just didn't get any reward on the greens," he said. "I missed three short ones and that was just wasteful as I felt it could have been a lot lower, given that I am driving the ball the best I feel I ever had.

"It's just a matter of being more efficient and putting better, and that's really it as I only played the par fives in one under par, and the way I am driving it, I should be playing those in four under."

Adam Scott fired a course record 62 to take the lead after the first round of the Australian Open in Sydney.

Scott is looking to become only the second player to land the Australian PGA, Masters and Open title in the same season, and at three shots clear is bang on course for the hat-trick.

The US Masters champion had a strange round, birdieing the first six holes, parring the next eight, before finishing strongly with four more birdies.

"It was a beautiful day for golf, I came out hitting great shots and didn't have much work to do to clean them up in the first five holes and had a nice putt on my sixth hole and I was really rolling at that stage," he said.

"But I think I've gone through a rollercoaster of emotion out there today from cruising after six holes to having to work pretty hard.

"Nothing much was going my way, I missed a green, felt like my swing was leaving me again, it's just amazing how in 18 holes you can do a 360 degrees of emotion and mood swings and everything."

Canadian Ryan Yip shot 65 to tie the previous record and was in second place. David McKenzie had a 66 while two-time champion Aaron Baddeley was in a group with 67s tied for fourth.

Kevin Streelman, who played with Matt Kuchar on the runner-up American team in last week's World Cup at Royal Melbourne, shot 70 playing in the same group as Scott and Jason Day, who also carded 70.

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Rory and Scott in Sydney Battle

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Rory McIlroy is preparing to resume a friendly rivalry in Sydney this week when world No.2 Adam Scott attempts to complete Australian golf's Triple Crown by winning the Australian Open.

The 24-year-old from Northern Ireland leads 33-year-old Scott in the statistic that matters most to them - major championship titles - by two to one.

But he believes the Australian is well-placed to improve his tally because of the circumstances surrounding his breakthrough win in the Masters in April.

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Scott rebounded from the horror show of making bogeys on the last four holes to let slip a four-shot lead in the 2012 British Open, winning the second major after it at Augusta National.

McIlroy bounced back from a final round meltdown when leading the 2011 Masters to triumph at the next major, the US Open.

"Adam is a special talent and for a long time he has been one of the best players in the world," said McIlroy, who also won the 2012 US PGA Championship.

"To win the Masters this year was a just reward for his disappointment in the 2012 Open Championship and I think everyone in the game was delighted for him.

"Without doubt the 2012 Open Championship was a huge learning curve for Adam and the experience has made him stronger which will stand to him for the rest of his career," he added.

"So in many ways it resembled my disappointment at the 2011 Masters and I've always looked back on that as a big positive in my career.

"You learn more from your mistakes sometimes, which we have both realised."

McIlroy was under no illusions about the difficulty of beating Scott in his current form, coming off back to back wins in the Australian PGA Championship and Australian Masters then a third behind countryman Jason Day at the World Cup of Golf on Sunday.

"Adam is playing great golf this year and with two victories this month alone he will be a force to reckon with in Sydney," McIlroy said.

"Having won the US Masters in April and Barclays Championship in August, it is fair to say that Adam is a tough opponent no matter where he plays so I'll expect him to be contending at Royal Sydney".

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