Adam Scott reveals the depths of Tiger Woods' hilarious mind games
Adam Scott has revealed some of the mind games Tiger Woods deployed when he was on the golf course at the height of his powers.
Everyone loves a good Tiger Woods story, and Adam Scott has just come out with a belter.
Scott - who gave this brutally honest response about whether or not to join the LIV Golf Tour before the 2022 Presidents Cup - recently joined Golf's Subpar podcast to discuss his career.
As a professional player, you can't appear on a golf podcast without being asked if you have a cool story about the big cat.
Scott, 49, who is playing his 10th Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow - spoke at length about the 15-time major champion.
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"Physically he just did everything better than everyone," he told Golf. "He drove it better than anyone, irons, chipped, putted, clutch, it was everything better than everyone. And that's why he was dominating.
"He just had it in the head so much better than everyone and then he got to the point where he would just play mind games on the course and in majors. He would pull way too much club on a par-3 and let you see it as it was playing out.
"He'd make kind of a full swing with a 7 and flight it in there nicely and let you see it was a 7, and you were tossing out whether if it was an 8 or a 9. And you were like, 'Well, it's definitely an 8 if he hit 7,' and then you go ahead and hit an 8 and airmail the green.
He added: "This was kind of standard stuff when he was just messing with guys so much. It got to the point where I started having some success playing with Tiger by not watching him play. That was the best way to go.
"I literally turned my back and didn't watch him make a move or hit a shot or feel like I could get sucked into the drama that was playing with Tiger Woods because there was so much going on."
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Scott also brought up a story from the 2000 Open at St Andrews. That was where Woods, then aged 24, won the first of three Opens and fourth major.
They were playing for money and Scott reportedly watched Woods flush a 4-iron onto the dance floor at the 11th hole.
"I saw he hit the 4, went back to the bag, got the 4, and airmailed the green," Scott told Golf.. "[Tiger] said, 'You should never look at my bag.'"
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Scott wasn't Woods' only victim. At the height of his powers, he also did four things to try and put his rival Phil Mickelson off his stride.
Butch Harmon, when he began working with Mickelson, reportedly told Lefty: "He's been doing it to you his whole career and you don't even know it."
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Those four things, which were revealed in Alan Shipnuck's book about Mickelson, were:
1. Woods always tried to putt-out first so the crowd would be moving to the next tee while Mickelson was putting.
2. He would linger behind the green and let Phil walk up to the tee box first, so when Tiger arrived, his playing partner would have to listen to the roar.
3. On holes when he [Mickelson] was between 3-wood or driver, Woods would choose less club so he could fart around in the fairway and make Mickelson watch him hit what would inevitably be a laser-like approach.
4. If Phil was amped up and moving fast, Tiger would slow his walk and pace of play; if Mickelson had a more leisurely vibe, Woods sped up his gait and routine. Either way, the goal was to try to upset his adversary's rhythm.
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