Adam Scott stared down another first-round freefall at the Australian Open, but ultimately left stronger for having done so, and will now look to make his charge.
The 35-year-old admits the event he wants to win so badly was teetering on the edge of disaster when he stumbled to three-over midway through Thursday's opening round, but a steely rally ensured his mission to upstage Jordan Spieth remained on track.
Scott rode a huge momentum swing into the back nine to score four birdies and post an even-par 71 – and he was relieved he did given many were not so lucky to survive the gruelling 39-degree heat and wild winds that turned the Australian Golf Club into the golf's version of "Dodge City".
Some expert chipping helped Scott recover and stay within five shots of the leaders – and equal with world No.1 Spieth – having come close to repeating the same five-over-par blowout he endured in his first nine holes this time 12months ago.
"All was going nicely and then, in the space of three holes, you've got to not think that the wheels have fallen off," Scott said, referring to double bogeys on the seventh and ninth holes. "In tough conditions like this, your bad stuff happens in a little patch, and it looks really bad. But I wasn't playing bad at all, and I absolutely pride myself on grinding it out, and if I don't, then [caddie Steve Williams] makes sure I do."
It was actually the second double bogey on the ninth hole that became a massive turning point, with the 2013 US Masters champion chipping in from off the green to limit the damage he feared could be irreversible.
The crazy build-up to the day's highlight-reel moment involved a wayward drive that came to rest on a branch, forcing him to chip out, a sprayed approach into the bunker and then a thinned shot out of the trap into the nearby water hazard. "It had a little bit of everything," Scott recalled with a wry smile.
"Sometimes you get those feelings that are important parts in a round or a tournament. More often than not you hope it's when ... you are a chance to win – not when you are looking at making an eight on a par four," he said.
"But I walked to the 10th tee with my head held high after making a double, and that's a good feeling."
It was the type of comeback Scott wasn't able to conjure at last week's Australian Masters, but doing so here keeps him alive going into Friday's second round where he will tee off in the morning groups and – potentially – have the best of the conditions.
"Anything par or better out there was a good score. I've got to go home tonight pretty happy with that, even though I made mistakes," he said.
Another former major winner in the field, Geoff Ogilvy, might have hoped the winds would rattle Scott more than they did, but the 38-year-old South Australian showed enough on Thursday to suggest he would be up for the fight, even with Scott at his best.
Ogilvy carded a three-under-par round of 68 to be equal third with Taiwanese amateur Yu Chun-An and rising Australian star Todd Sinnott – which is one shot behind US Tour professional Matt Jones on four under, and surprise leader Lincoln Tighe on five under.
Having only won once since his Australian Open victory in 2010, Ogilvy admitted it was time for him to start getting some results, although he said it with the confidence of knowing his game was finally where it needed to be.
"It's just been getting better and better and better," he said of his swing. "It's a nice feeling, but it's also a nice feeling to put a score on the board. At some point, you've got to start shooting lower scores."
An old putter gave Ogilvy some new tricks on Thursday, with the former US Open winner rolling in seven birdies in a round that included two shots in the water and two shots ruined by tree branches lying in unfortunate spots. "It felt really good instantly," Ogilvy said of the longer putter he has reverted to just recently.
Jones has seen this course present many challenges, but he ranked Thursday's round – in which less than 20 players posted red numbers – as one of the toughest.
