Adam Scott declared his intention to do a health check on the Australian golfing landscape when he returns home for the first time in three years and is putting his spikes into action.
The Masters champion has locked himself in to play the newest event on the Australian golfing calendar, the Cathedral Invitational, which will be played just days after the first national Open since 2019 in December.
Scott is one of a host of Aussie stars, including LIV rebel Marc Leishman, who has signed on to take part in the fledgling event at the Greg Norman-designed course in rural Victoria.
The inaugural field for the 36-hole event, which organisers hope grows year-on-year into a permanent and significant fixture on the golfing summer, will have two major champions, with 2006 US Open winner Geoff Ogilvy also locked in to play.
Scott, 42, has found himself in a the middle of a golfing war between the US PGA Tour and Norman’s LIV Golf league, siding with the former despite overtures from the Australian legend to join the Saudi-backed group.
Although he conceded he was “less emotional” than others, Scott was involved in player-led discussions with PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan that preceded a raft of changes, including an injection of significantly more prizemoney for the upcoming season.
But Scott also said he “always pushed” the Australian agenda and was eager to have similar discussions with local tour bosses when he comes home for first the Australian PGA, then the Open and now the Cathedral Invitational.
“I’ve always tried to push golf in Australia to push the other tours for other events,” Scott said.
“We have had success with some in the past, but it seems like over the past 10 to 15 years Australia has been easily overlooked.
“Currently, with I’ll call it a shake-up, every tour seems to be making moves weekly or monthly. How Australia fits into that I don’t know.
“When the dust settles a little bit on this we’ll have a clearer idea of where that leaves Australia.”
Ogilvy stepped up last summer when he started The Players Series of mixed events that added a new element to the Australian golfing calendar.
While still only a fledgling event, the Cathedral Invitational, by the quality of the field already signed on, could have a similar impact.
“At this point in my career I am really interested in where Australian golf is in the future, the tour and golf generally,” Scott said.
“There’s no doubt senior players in Australia are passionate about golf in Australia and want things to be as good as they can, and if at some point the senior players got together to have a brain storm, I think that could be a productive thing.”
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