‘I’m absolutely satisfied’ with position at Masters, says Adam Scott

Adam Scott is aiming to be the first back-to-back Masters winner since 2002, and after two rounds has put himself in a position to do just that as he enters Saturday at 3-under, four strokes off the lead pace.

Australia's Adam Scott tees off on the fourth hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National on Friday. Jim Young / Reuters / April 11, 2014

The omens are there at the Masters for Adam Scott as he bids to become the first back-to-back winner of the year’s first major since Tiger Woods in 2002 and just the fourth ever to do so.

For his two rounds so far of 69 and 72 are identical to what he carded last year and his breakdown of 39-32 for Friday’s second round was the same as what he had last year.

Still, he had looked to be in some trouble early on after shedding three strokes in five holes from his starting position of 3-under.

“It was so difficult. Greens are getting so firm in the afternoon that it was, if you were out of position, almost impossible to hold them,” he said.

“You needed to be right in the fairway and hopefully with a wedge. The greens are very firm now.”

Playing in the day’s penultimate grouping and with the breeze getting up to complicate matters further, Scott could have left a big gap between himself and Bubba Watson, who birdied five holes in a row from the 12th to break away from the field.

But he stuck to his guns and birdies at 12, 13 and 15 brought him back to where he started the day at 3-under, four strokes off the pace.

“There’s always opportunities to hit good shots on the back nine,” he said.

“And I felt it was so important to get through 10, 11, and 12 without dropping another shot, so I could get to 13 and 15 and maybe create some chances for eagle or at least have good looks at birdie.

“I knew if I finished the day in red numbers I would be in a pretty good position going into the weekend.”

That he managed to achieve as he goes into Saturday’s third round, when he will partner rising US star Jordan Spieth while tied for third, compared to seventh place a year ago.

“Well, it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, but given everything, I’m absolutely satisfied with that. It just means tomorrow’s round is extremely important for me,” Scott said. “It’s going to have to be maybe the best round of the week.”

Scott finds himself not as the top Australian, but playing second fiddle to John Senden, who came in with a 68 to get to 4-under.

Senden, 42, is playing in his fifth Masters, having missed the cut in his first three appearances and finished tied for 35th last year.

Ranked 59th in the world, he made it through Augusta this year by winning the Valspar Championship last month on the PGA Tour.

Senden will play in the final pairing of the third round in the company of Watson and said he would not be intimidated by the shot-makng of the American.

“I have to stick to the game plan, and that’s doing my job well. That’s the only thing I can do,” he said.

“Bubba has his game plan and I think that I could just go out there and hit shots and hit putts.

“It’s just about how you play the game. And I think that’s why we’re at the top. We can deal with it.”

Jason Day, who came close to winning the Masters in 2011 and 2013 is also through to the weekend. He had a 73 to squeeze under the bar at 4-over.

And making it five Aussies are Oliver Goss, who is already assured of winning the Silver Medal for low amateur, and Steven Bowditch.

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