Adam Scott continues to defy Father Time, compiling one of his most consistent international campaigns during 2024

Adam Scott has big plans for 2025. The popular Queenslander enjoyed something of a renaissance in 2024, not only on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour but also at the majors. From 19 PGA Tour starts, he gathered five top-10 results (and one on the European circuit), which included two runner-up results at the Scottish Open and BMW Championship, part of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. He made the all-important, season-ending Tour Championship in August, when he cemented a fourth placing on the season-long points standings.

A more organised calendar is combining with hot form to make the 14-time PGA Tour winner bullish about 2025. Scott concedes the year in which he will turn 45 could be his last great chance to win an elusive second major championship to add to his 2013 Masters title. Given that he is guaranteed to play all four majors in 2025, his consecutive-starts streak at golf’s biggest events should reach 97 at next year’s Open Championship (and 98 in 2026 at Augusta given he has a lifetime invitation to the Masters].

The Rolex ambassador sat down with Australian Golf Digest recently to talk longevity, majors, his record 11th appearance for the International team at the Presidents Cup, where he was one of six automatic qualifiers, and his hopes of knocking off another major in 2025.

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It seems longevity is a bit of a theme around me at the moment. Making 11 Presidents Cup appearances for the International team since 2003 seems like a lot when you add those years up. Making it as an automatic qualifier was something I was really proud of because the past few years I’ve played OK but it hasn’t been outstanding. As you get older, you can’t rely on your name forever. You need to put some results in. It was important for me, personally, to play well over the northern summer and automatically qualify, and not leave International team captain Mike Weir in a position where he could think, We want Adam on the team because he’s a nice guy and he’s played a lot of Presidents Cups, but where’s his form? I didn’t want him to have to justify picking me.

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When I came along in 2000, there was a lot of longevity in the professional game. Over my career, the game has evolved a lot and become more physical. Injury seems to be more common, and the whole world is about your latest result. What have you done for me lately? [Laughs]. When I grew up, consistency was really revered in the game, and I think it still is to a degree, but if you win once in the year and miss every other cut, it’s equally as impressive as 17 top-10s in 18 events, which you could argue is much better play.

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The first time I thought about longevity as a focus in my career was when I started working with a trainer, at the age 22 or 23. It was a couple of years into being a professional. That was when I actually had a program written for me, had some consistency in what I did in the gym and stretching and all the physical preparation needed to play. My trainer’s focus was injury prevention. I thought, Well, if I’m never injured, I’m out there more, and I can play as much as I want and I’m a good chance of getting wins. If I’m sitting at home recovering, I’m not going to get any results.

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I was pleasantly surprised by the comments I received after the end of the PGA Tour season by a lot of people who took notice of my good play, especially finishing second at the BMW Championship and T-4 at the Tour Championship. It showed my game is still relevant at the top end of the professional game. I expect a lot out of myself. I don’t enter events to make up the numbers, and that’s why the middle of the year – before the European summer – was so frustrating. I felt like I was working hard and doing all the things I needed to do, but I couldn’t lift my game. I couldn’t get out of this grey zone of safety.

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I was very pleased with the end of my season, but I’ve always based my success on winning, and I’m certainly on a bit of a dry spell [Scott last won an official event in February 2020]. So I’ll keep knocking on that door. I’ll give myself a quick pat on the back for this year, but I’m motivated to get over that line and win tournaments again.

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Getting in the top 50 to be eligible for the signature events was huge because I was on the outside looking in this year. It certainly helps my 2025 PGA Tour season schedule, because I was not in that position this year and I was fortunate to get some invitations. But at times you’re finding out on the Monday of the tournament week and travelling, planning and practice isn’t easy. To make the Tour Championship and lock up the rest of the majors for 2025, now I feel I can lean on all my experience and to come out next year fresh and ready to perform the best I can at every tournament. Hopefully, from April to July, I can have a purple patch like I did at the back end of this year when I felt like I could contend every week.

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The reality is, the next 12 months might be my best chance to win a second major. I’m turning 45 next July and while I believe I’m fit and healthy, you just don’t know how long you can sustain this a high level of golf. I’ve put myself in a really great spot and I want to take advantage of it.