Scott ends rough season, off for paternity leave

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A closing double bogey turned out to be an appropriate microcosm for Adam Scott, representing both his week and his season as he gets set for an extended break from competition.

Scott’s blunder on the 72^nd hole finished off an even-par 71 in the final round of the PGA Championship, leaving the Aussie at 8 over for the week and outside the top 60 among the 75 players who made the cut.

It closes out another year of missed opportunities for Scott in the majors, as a T-9 finish at the Masters represented his lone top-20 result.

“Well you’re kind of glad it’s over when you’re in my position this week, because you’re working hard for not a lot of result,” Scott said. “To shoot 71 out there today is hard work, and you kind of walk away finishing at the bottom of the pack and you don’t get anything out of it. It’s never a waste of energy, but it’s a lot of work for not a lot of give back.”

PGA Championship: Scores | Live blog: Day 4 | Full coverage

Scott’s PGA Tour season effectively came to an end this week at Quail Hollow Club. He plans to fly home to Australia Monday as his wife, Marie, is due to give birth to the couple’s second child on Aug. 19. Paternity leave will keep him out of the first two playoff events, and while Scott had planned to return for the 70-man BMW Championship he is currently 61^st in points and assured of dropping out of the top 70 before the BMW field is set.

It means that Scott won’t tee it up competitively until the Presidents Cup Sept. 28-Oct. 1, and his fall schedule after that remains in flux.

The 37-year-old is excited to reunite with his growing family after six weeks on the road, and he’s also ready to move on from a week – and a season – that he described as “consistently average.”

“I just played how I played all year. I just seemed to play three pretty good rounds most weeks and one average round,” Scott said. “It’s just disappointing, because I was hopeful this week I’d find something, but I really struggled in that second round and shot myself out of it.”