Ask any casual golf fan about the most iconic moments at Augusta National in the last fifteen years, and they’ll probably mention a tall, lean Australian with a swing that looks like it was sculpted by Michelangelo. They’ll talk about the rain. They’ll talk about the roar. But even now, years later, people still find themselves googling "has Adam Scott won a major" just to be absolutely sure.
Yes, he has.
Adam Scott won the Masters in 2013. It wasn't just a win; it was a massive, monkey-off-the-back moment for an entire continent. Before Scott sank that birdie putt on the second playoff hole against Angel Cabrera, no Australian had ever donned the Green Jacket. Not Greg Norman. Not Peter Thomson. Not Ian Baker-Finch. It was a historic drought that felt more like a curse until that soggy Sunday in Georgia.
The Day the Drought Ended: 2013 Masters Breakdown
Most people forget how tense that back nine really was. Scott was playing alongside Marc Leishman, another Aussie, while "El Pato" Angel Cabrera was looming like a shadow. It felt like destiny and disaster were fighting for the same parking spot. When Scott drained a long birdie putt on the 72nd hole, he let out a scream of "C'mon Aussie!" that probably echoed all the way to Adelaide. He thought he’d won it right there.
Then Cabrera happened.
The Argentine hit a ridiculous approach into 18 to forced a playoff. Honestly, most golf fans expected Scott to crumble. Why? Because of what happened a year earlier. But he didn't. Under the dimming light and a persistent drizzle, Scott rolled in a 12-footer on the 10th green (the second playoff hole) to secure his place in history.
It remains his only major championship title to date.
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The Open Championship Heartbreak of 2012
You can't really talk about Adam Scott's major record without talking about Royal Lytham & St Annes. This is the part that still stings for his die-hard supporters. In 2012, Scott didn't just have a lead at The Open; he had the Claret Jug in his carry-on luggage with four holes to play.
He led by four shots with four holes remaining.
Then, the unthinkable happened. He bogged 15. He bogged 16. He bogged 17. By the time he reached the 18th green, he needed a par to force a playoff with Ernie Els. He made bogey. Four straight bogeys to lose by one. It was a collapse of epic proportions that would have broken a lesser athlete. Most experts at the time, including analysts like Brandel Chamblee, wondered if he’d ever recover mentally.
The fact that he won the Masters less than a year later is arguably more impressive than the win itself. It showed a level of psychological resilience that most people didn't think he possessed. He looked at the 2012 Open disaster and used it as fuel rather than letting it become a permanent scar.
Why People Keep Asking: The "Should Have Had More" Argument
Scott’s career is a bit of a statistical anomaly. If you look at his ball-striking metrics over the last two decades, he’s consistently ranked among the elite. Tiger Woods-level elite at times. His swing is widely considered the "gold standard" on the PGA Tour—mechanically perfect and aesthetically pleasing.
So, why just one major?
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- The Putter: For years, Scott used the long "broomstick" putter. It worked. Then the anchoring ban came in 2016. He’s spent the last several years fluctuating between the short putter and the unanchored long putter, with varying degrees of success.
- The Era: He played his prime during the tail end of the Tiger era and the rise of the "Power Game" led by Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka.
- Consistency vs. Peak: Scott has an incredible record of making cuts and finishing in the top 10. But in majors, winning requires a specific "peak" week where everything clicks. For Scott, the putter has often been the piece that refuses to cooperate when the pressure is highest.
He has multiple top-5 finishes in every single major. He finished T2 at the 2012 Open, T3 at the 2006 PGA Championship, and T4 at the 2015 U.S. Open. The guy is always there. He just hasn't stepped into the winner's circle on Sunday afternoon since that rainy day in 2013.
The Gear Change: From Titleist to Miura and Beyond
One thing that makes Scott a favorite among gearheads is his willingness to experiment. He’s a bit of an equipment nerd. While he was a Titleist loyalist for the vast majority of his career, he recently started playing custom Miura irons and has messed around with various boutique putter brands like L.A.B. Golf.
This obsession with perfection is a double-edged sword. It keeps him competitive in his 40s (he's still remarkably fit and fast), but it also suggests he's always searching for that one missing ingredient. His longevity is frankly ridiculous. He’s been a fixture in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking for longer than some current PGA Tour players have been alive.
Examining the Current State of Play
As we look at the 2024 and 2025 seasons, the question changes. It’s no longer "has Adam Scott won a major," but "can he win another?"
Phil Mickelson winning the PGA at 50 changed the math for everyone. Scott is still long enough off the tee to compete at places like Augusta or a firm U.S. Open setup. His iron play remains elite. The narrative that he’s "washed" is just factually wrong. In 2024, he showed flashes of brilliance, nearly winning the Scottish Open and performing well in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
However, the competition is getting younger and braver. Scott grew up in an era of "shaping shots." The new kids just "aim and fire." Transitioning his game to match the aggressive style of the modern era while maintaining his classical precision is the tightrope he’s currently walking.
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Adam Scott's Major Championship Record at a Glance
If you need a quick refresher on how close he's actually come, look at these results. It’s a career of "almosts" that would make most pros envious but probably keeps him up at night.
He’s had 20 top-10 finishes in majors. That’s a staggering number.
In the U.S. Open, he’s often struggled with the brutal rough, yet he still managed a T4 at Chambers Bay. At the PGA Championship, he’s been a model of consistency, specifically his runner-up finish to Brooks Koepka at Bellerive in 2018. That 2018 PGA was a classic example of Scott playing "perfect" golf but simply being out-muscled by a younger, stronger opponent who was in the middle of a historic heater.
The Greg Norman Connection
It’s impossible to talk about Adam Scott without mentioning "The Shark." Greg Norman was the mentor. Scott was the protégé. For years, Scott carried the burden of being "The Next Norman."
When Scott won the Masters, he did something Norman never could. He did it with Norman watching from afar. There was a sense of poetic justice in it. The 1996 collapse of Greg Norman at Augusta is one of the darkest days in Australian sport. Scott's 2013 win was the exorcism. He didn't just win a trophy; he healed a national sporting wound.
Actionable Takeaways for Following Scott’s Career
If you're tracking Scott’s progress or wondering if he’s worth a bet in the next major, keep these factors in mind:
- Watch the "Strokes Gained: Putting" stats. If Scott is even field-average in putting over the first two days, he’s a threat to win. His ball-striking is almost always in the top 10.
- Look at the course length. Scott still thrives on courses that require mid-to-long iron accuracy. Think Augusta National or Muirfield Village.
- Check his early-season form. Scott usually plays a limited schedule. If he shows up early in the year with high finishes in California or Florida, it usually bodes well for his Masters prep.
- Monitor his equipment. He’s been using the L.A.B. Mezz.1 Max putter lately. This "lie-angle balanced" technology has stabilized his stroke significantly.
Adam Scott’s legacy is secure as a Hall of Famer and a Masters legend. While he only has that one major victory, his impact on Australian golf and his sustained excellence over two decades make him one of the most respected figures in the game. He proved that you can bounce back from the most public of failures to reach the absolute summit. Whether he adds a second major or not, he’s already answered the big question in the most emphatic way possible.
Keep an eye on him during the West Coast swing this year. He’s playing with a level of freedom that usually precedes a late-career surge. He doesn't need to prove anything anymore, and a relaxed Adam Scott is a very dangerous golfer.