Home town heroes warmed up for glamour event by winning World Cup.
Jason Day and Adam Scott are looking to build on their World Cup win at the Australian Open this week, with both confident they can lift their games even further.
The two ended a 24-year winless drought for Australia at the World Cup in Melbourne on Sunday, when Day also took the event’s individual honour while Scott came third.
They head into the Australian Open at Royal Sydney as clear favourites in a field that also includes Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy.
Day showed great composure over Sunday’s closing holes to clinch a two-shot win over Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn, just days after losing eight relatives to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
“Preparation is huge for me,” Day said, adding that he was taking Monday off to rest before re-focusing ahead of Thursday.
“I just need time to just relax and think about what has happened over the last week.
“I will get out there Tuesday and really try and put a good solid 18 holes in, get a good practice session in and then play the pro-am and, hopefully by then, I am familiar with the golf course.
“I feel like everything is in a good spot right now. I just need to keep working hard and hopefully put on a good show.”
World number two Scott is aiming to capture the “Australian Grand Slam”, adding the Open to his victories this month at the PGA and Masters, and said he was still full of energy and motivated despite a gruelling recent schedule.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge,” he said as he seeks to match Robert Allenby’s 2005 Grand Slam feat.
“Obviously Jason is playing great. There is a host of guys who are going to be wanting to win badly. It’s going to be a great week.”
Allenby, who will play at this year’s Australian Open, said if anyone could match his feat, it was Scott.
He warned though that Scott would be fighting fatigue after three tournaments in a row, and said he should just ride his confidence.
“I never once thought I wasn’t going to win but I didn’t feel any pressure to win the third in a row,” Allenby told The Australian of his 2005 exploits.
“If he does (win) it, that’s fantastic. Because if someone else is going to create history too, why not from Australia’s first ever US Masters champion. I think that would be pretty cool.”
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