AKRON, Ohio There's no silver claret jug for Adam Scott, only a silver lining.
For two days after the British Open, where Scott lost a four-shot lead with four holes to play, he holed up at his home in the Swiss Alps and tried to digest what went wrong. The numbness he felt that Sunday evening, when Ernie Els was introduced as the champion golfer of the year, stayed with him. He didn't beat himself up. He didn't curl up in a corner. It was a time of quiet reflection, just as it is after every major.
It's when he went to the golf course at Crans-Sur-Sierre to hit balls that his outlook brightened considerably.
"I hit the first few balls, and I hit them nice," Scott said Wednesday. "And that was kind of a reminder that it's not horrible and I don't know how to play golf anymore. It was just four holes that I'll have to learn from."
That's what Scott took away from Royal Lytham & St. Annes. He is convinced there will be a next time. He's convinced there will be a major championship trophy in his name.
"It's just motivation for me," he said. "I think I'm on the right track. Keep doing what I'm doing and I can get myself more chances like that."
The next one is a week away.
Scott headed to Kiawah Island earlier this week to see the Ocean Course, where the PGA Championship is being held for the first time. First up is the Bridgestone Invitational, where a year ago Scott claimed his first World Golf Championship by closing with a 65 for a four-shot win.
The 78-man field at Firestone is for select winners from around the world, the top 50 in the world ranking and players from the last Presidents Cup teams. Scott is the defending champion, though the favorite is Tiger Woods, a three-time winner this year who has won seven times at Firestone.
Els is playing for the third straight week. He lived up to a sponsor obligation last week at the Canadian Open, where he missed the cut and hung around Toronto for the weekend to throw out the first pitch at a Toronto Blue Jays game.
As Scott, 32, headed to the practice range, he talked about taking more confidence out of the Open.
"If I felt like that was my last chance, I might never play again. I'd be devastated," he said. "I'm going to win. For me, the greatest thing for my career was to know that I can play that good in a major."
And he smiled at one last observation. It seems everyone feels sorry for Scott except him.
More Details: Rolling in Akron
What:World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational.
When:Today-Sunday.
Where:Firestone Country Club, South Course (7,400 yards, par 70), Akron, Ohio.
Purse:$8.5 million; winner s share $1.4 million.
TV:2-6 p.m. today-Friday (Golf Channel); noon to 1:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday (Golf Channel), 2-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday (CBS, Ch. 62 in Detroit).
Defending champ:Adam Scott.
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