Adam Scott reveals very risky plan to contend at the Masters: Here’s when every Aussie will tee off

Inspired by 50-something major winner Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott won’t die wondering as he chases more Masters glory, a decade after his hoodoo-busting triumph at Augusta National.

Drawn to play his first round on Thursday in the group behind Tiger Woods, Scott says he’s feeling ‘good vibes’ again after a practice round hole-in-one and a refreshing catch-up hit with LIV Golf countryman Cameron Smith.

‘It is amazing in some ways it’s been 10 years,’ Scott said of his landmark 2013 victory.

‘But in other ways I feel really good about how I’ve managed to keep myself over these 10 years. At least physically, I’m very healthy and ready to go again.’

Turning 43 this year, Scott knows keeping up with golf’s young guns – led by world No.1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler – is the key to reigning again.

Inspired by 50-something major winner Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott won’t die wondering as he chases more Masters glory

Drawn to play his first round on Thursday in the group behind Tiger Woods, Scott says he’s feeling ‘good vibes’ again after a practice round hole-in-one

That’s why he plans to attack the newly lengthened 13th hole in a bid to ‘catch out’ his rivals. The pivotal back-nine par-5 has been extended from 510 to 545 yards in a bid to rein in the long bombers and sweet-swinging Scott hopes the change plays into his hands.

While the likes of big-hitting 2020 champion Dustin Johnson says he won’t dare take on the 13th-hole water with anything less than a five iron, Scott plans to be daring with his second shot if in position to fire at the green and hunt eagles.

‘There are definitely going to be threes,’ Scott said on Tuesday.

‘I feel like they’ve taken more of the big numbers away, but it’s still very gettable. I hit [driver then] six iron in today. There is no wind of course, but I don’t see the roars going away.

‘Hopefully it does play into my strength. It is in that long-iron range and when I am playing well, that is an advantage for me so hopefully I’ve got four good ones in me there and I catch a few people out.’

Just as when Mickelson caught out the field to win the US PGA Championship two years ago at 51, Scott says he’s ‘just looking for that week where I put it all together’.

‘It is getting more and more challenging to play at the top end as you get older, so you’re seeing less and less guys my age consistently up in the top and you’re seeing a lot of guys in their mid-20s taking those spots,’ he said.

‘But just like we saw with Mickelson a couple of years ago, on any given week the player with the right credentials can certainly still perform at the highest level and my experience will certainly help with that.’

Scott (pictured with fellow Aussies Cam Smith and Harrison Crowe) says he can follow in Phil Mickelson’s footsteps and win the coveted title despite being one of the tour’s older stars

With the game’s PGA Tour stars and LIV golfers sharing the fairways for the first time this year, Scott was only too happy to reunite with Smith for a rare round together on Tuesday

Scott revealed he’d struck ‘about’ his 20th career ace on Augusta’s sixth hole while playing a practice round last Monday with his father Phil.

‘It was actually where the pin was today. I just hit a 7-iron and it landed perfect,’ he said. ‘Actually while it was in the air the member I was playing with said that will land past and spin back and go in. It did, so he knows the course well.

‘That was fun. I was playing with my dad and playing with Patrick Cantlay and he made a two, so I managed to win that hole off him.’

With the game’s PGA Tour stars and LIV golfers sharing the fairways for the first time this year at the season’s opening major, Scott was only too happy to reunite with Smith for a rare round together on Tuesday.

‘Cam and I are good mates,’ he said.’None of this has had any effect on our relationship at all.’

Cameron Smith will play the opening two rounds with former champion Hideki Matsuyama as Masters officials happily grouped the 18 LIV Golf players with the PGA Tour stars.

 ‘Cam and I are good mates,’ Adam Scott said.’None of this has had any effect on our relationship at all.’

Cameron Smith will play the opening two rounds with former champion Hideki Matsuyama as Masters officials happily grouped the 18 LIV Golf players with the PGA Tour stars

Like the players who have reunited without fuss this week following months of verbal warfare between the opposing tours, Augusta National had no concerns pairing the big guns from either side of golf’s great divide.

In his first major since winning last year’s British Open and joining LIV, Smith has a comfortable first-round morning tee time with Matsuyama and fellow former Presidents Cup teammate Sungjae Im.

Ten years after his watershed win at Augusta, Adam Scott will start his quest for a second green jacket with Americans Patrick Cantlay and Kurt Kitayama.

Guaranteed a big gallery and lots of noise, Scott is in the group immediately behind Tiger Woods, who tees off at 10.18am local time with great mate Xander Schauffele and Norwegian ace Victor Hovland.

Sydney amateur sensation Harrison Crowe will make his Masters debut alongside fellow Australian Min Woo Lee after the pair practised together on Tuesday with Scott.

Veteran Augusta native Larry Mize, who broke Greg Norman’s heart with a playoff chip-in win in 1987, is also in the 9am starting group with Crowe and Lee.

Jason Day will play his first two rounds with 2007 champion Zach Johnson and American amateur Gordon Sargent

Jason Day will play his first two rounds with 2007 champion Zach Johnson and American amateur Gordon Sargent.

After missing last year’s Masters following his controversial move to the LIV league, three-time champion Phil Mickelson has been grouped with PGA Tour players Tom Hoge and Si Woo Kim.

NOTABLE FIRST-ROUND GROUPINGS AT THE MASTERS (all times AEST):

THURSDAY 11pm: Min Woo Lee (AUS), Harrison Crowe (AUS), Larry Mize (USA)

FRIDAY 12.18am: Tiger Woods (USA), Viktor Hovland (NOR), Xander Schauffele (USA)

12.30am: Adam Scott (AUS), Patrick Cantlay (USA), Kurt Kitayama (USA)

12.42am: Jon Rahm (ESP), Justin Thomas (USA), Cameron Young (USA)

12.54am: Cameron Smith (AUS), Hideki Matsuyama (JPN), Sungjae Im (KOR)

2.24am: Phil Mickelson (USA), Tom Hoge (USA), Si Woo Kim (KOR)

2.48am: Jason Day (AUS), Zach Johnson (USA), Gordon Sargent (USA)

3.12am: Dustin Johnson (USA), Corey Conners (CAN), Justin Rose (ENG)

3.36am: Scottie Scheffler (USA), Max Homa (USA), Sam Bennett (USA)

3.48am: Rory McIlroy (NIR), Tom Kim (KOR), Sam Burns (USA)

4am: Jordan Spieth (USA), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Tony Finau (USA).