Scott and Smith banking on Sandbelt smarts at Royal Melbourne

3 Dec 2025

Media Release:

Australian favourites Adam Scott and Cam Smith will lean on their Sandbelt know-how to gain an edge at the 2025 Crown Australian Open at the iconic Royal Melbourne Golf Club this week.

Playing the famous Composite Course demands precision, particularly with approach shots that set up chances on the lighting-fast and punishing greens. Strategy is everything, and prior experience on these courses can be the difference come Sunday.

For Scott – who has played multiple tournaments at Royal Melbourne, including the 2019 Presidents Cup, but never an Australian Open – the blueprint is simple: minimise mistakes and attack with caution.

“It’s probably a week where you just need to limit the mistakes, but given the level of play these days, you’re still going to have to make a lot of birdies,” Scott said.

“The easiest thing to do is shoot yourself out of tournaments at golf courses like this. Hopefully that’s where my experience can kick in and keep me in it.

“Then when you’re coming down the stretch, you have to take your chances when you can get them. For me, at this point, if I can get myself to that position coming down the stretch, I have nothing to lose.”

Scott knows all too well the pain of a Sunday stumble at an Australian Open.

In 2013, he let a one-shot lead slip on the final hole at Royal Sydney as Rory McIlroy, returning for the first time since 2014 this year, snatched victory.

“I mean that was not the greatest memory for me and it all just slipped away so quickly on that final hole,” Scott recalled.

“But when you’re on these great courses and playing under pressure, the smallest of errors can happen like that.

“I put myself in a spot that was a little tricky to get up and down and all of a sudden the momentum was with Rory on the green and he holed the putt and won.”

That loss denied what could have been arguably the greatest year ever by an Australian golfer. In 2013, Scott famously won the Masters, then claimed both the Australian PGA and Australian Masters; the Australian Open would have meant the Triple Crown and the cherry on top.

Smith, renowned for his creativity around the greens, echoed Scott’s emphasis on disciplined strategy and picking the right moments to attack.

“You have to be very creative. I’ve always said that I play my best golf when I’m creative,” Smith said.

“You just have to hit the right shot and sometimes the right shot is hitting it to 30, 40, 50 feet and leaving yourself that putt. When it’s time to be aggressive, you really have to knuckle down and be aggressive.

“It tests every part of your game, but particularly your strategy and your shot selection.”

Both Scott and Smith arrive at Royal Melbourne following last week’s BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland.

Scott produced a solid week, contending on Sunday before finishing seventh at 13-under. Smith missed the cut after a second round 75 erased the momentum of his opening 69.

Despite the setback, Smith believes his game is close.

“I didn’t play my best golf, but it does honestly feel like it’s just there,” he said.

“I understand that people through their career go through ups and downs but a person’s career doesn’t get defined by a season or an event.

“I’m looking forward to this week and looking forward to the challenge.”

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