Golf: Scott starts in Aussie trio for only Open tuneup

Masters champion Adam Scott will play alongside fellow Australians Jason Day and Marc Leishman in the first and second rounds of the US PGA National, his final event before the British Open.

World number four Scott, third in last year’s event at Congressional Country Club, became the first green-jacket winner from Australia by winning his first major title two months ago at Augusta National.

Scott was grouped with his compatriots on Tuesday ahead of Thursday’s start of the $6.5 million event in suburban Washington, played on the same 7,569-yard layout where Rory McIlroy won the 2011 US Open for his first major triumph.

Scott has become the National’s top draw after world number one Tiger Woods, the defending champion, pulled out with a left elbow strain and England’s Justin Rose, the new US Open champion, withdrew citing fatigue.

Neither man will play another tournament until next month’s British Open at Muirfield and this will be the only event for Scott, who made bogeys on the last four holes to cost himself last year’s British Open crown.

Scott, coming off a share of 45th at the US Open two weeks ago, adopted a reduced tour schedule in 2011 to focus on winning majors and the move paid off.

“The frustration was really high in 2010,” Scott said. “I was playing well, not getting results that I wanted. I was frustrated with a lot of things because of that. I’d had enough of not playing well enough in the big events when I felt I could.

“So I had to do something different. You have to after a while if it’s not working. If it’s broke, you’ve got to fix it.”

People at Congressional know that all too well.

The third round last year was played without spectators as a violent storm late Friday toppled 50 trees across the course, grounds crews barely making the course playable Saturday and unable to safely fix viewing areas until Sunday.

There’s a chance of severe thunderstorms every afternoon this week as temperatures and humidity are forecast to be high.

Scott can match idle American Matt Kuchar for the PGA lead in consecutive cuts by making his 19th in a row this week.

Day, who has made 17 cuts in a row, shared second at the US Open and has four top-three finishes in the past 10 majors. Day, second to McIlroy here at the 2011 US Open, won his only PGA title at the 2010 Byron Nelson Championship.

Also in the field of 132 chasing a $1.1 million top prize are PGA driving distance leader Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium, US world number eight Brandt Snedeker, last year’s US PGA playoff champion, and Canada’s Graham DeLaet.

DeLaet matched his best PGA finish with a share of third in last week’s Travelers Championship and donated a portion of his winnings to flood relief efforts in Calgary. He leads the PGA in reaching greens in regulation.

“I continue to build confidence and know that I belong out here and that I have what it takes to be in the winning circle,” DeLaet said. “I feel like my time’s coming and it just hasn’t quite been right yet.”

Chris Stroud, last week’s Travelers Championship runner-up, chipped-in from 48 feet on the 72nd hole to force a playoff that he lost to Ken Duke and still seeks his first PGA victory.

“It was definitely electric for me,” Stroud said. “All I can ask for is more chances to be in moments like that. I’m actually pretty excited to get back out there. I believe I can go out there and have a chance in the last nine holes.”