Notes On A Master

Well, Adam Scott can no longer hold the title, Best Player Never To Win A Major. And it was a long time coming. I remember watching Scott win the TPC in 2004 when he was 23 and we were waiting any day for the birth of our first child.

So 9 years later, after a lot of near misses and one colossal meltdown (the 2012 Open Championship), Scott conquered nerves and made some massive putts to finally join the Major fraternity.

So Scott got the monkey off his back, but the thing about golf is that the demons never really go away. Phil Mickelson has won multiple majors and is one of the best of our generation, but he's unraveled in the final round too many times to recall. Jim Furyk seems as steady as they come, he won the 2003 US Open, and has coughed it up many times since.

So Scott will always have those surreal clutch moments in the rain from Augusta 2013, and the Masters Championship is something that will never be taken away.

But in golf the yips find ways to re-emerge. It happened to Tom Watson at age 59 with a British Open on his putter. Scott has finally reached the pinnacle, and now he'll have to work just as hard to stay up there.

So who's the new Best Player Never To Win A Major?

Dustin Johnson (28)? He's already had some Major snafus, but lots of success and plenty of talent and time to get it straight.

Hunter Mahan (30)? A big time cash-cow, but seems to disappear in the big ones.

But I'm going with Justin Rose (32). Already has a Top 5 finish in each Slam, and seems to be in the mix at almost every one.

But even if these guys break through, do they instantly become elite, or are they one-and-done? Remember how much we liked Mike Weir 10 years ago?

The Heritage Hodge-Podge: Who Will Emerge?

It was a wild Saturday in Hilton Head to say the least. At one point there was a 9-way tie for the lead. Jim Furyk ultimately emerged as solo leader (-11) over Brit Brian Davis, with seven others tied just two shots back.

But it doesn't stop there - there are actually 23 golfers within 5 shots. And you'd have to say just about all of them have a shot. I attended Thursday, my 3rd year in a row catching at least one day of the action and in following this closely, the better scores are generally recorded earlier in the day before the greens toughen up and the wind picks up.

That's why Stewart Cink was able to win in 2004, entering Sunday 9 shots back. He's one of the group 5 shots back this year. Then again last year, Brian Gay's final round 64 took him to -20 and a 10-shot victory laugher.

Who else to watch? Two-time champ Boo Weekley is 9-under. Personal favorite madman Stephen Ames lurks in the same group. As well as young guns Luke Donald and Ricky Barnes.

Former champ Aaron Baddeley is at -8 with Camillo Villegas, and Zach Johnson is a legit threat at -7.

My pick? Barnes. The man with the cool hat and the cocky grin has already scared the leaders in some majors. Now it's time to claim his first PGA win and the coveted tartan jacket.

He's already a fashion outcast, might as well add some plaid!