Can Adam Scott Regain his Game at the HP Byron Nelson Championship?

He’s young, he’s famous, he’s good-looking, and he’s extremely wealthy.

When he’s not travelling the world playing golf for a living, he’s surfing on one of Australia’s magnificent beaches, frolicking with actresses in Hawaii, or signing papers for the purchase of his brand new Gulfstream jet.

In essence, Adam Scott is living a life that most men can only envision in their wildest dreams.

Off the course, life is certainly good for the 28-year-old Australian.

On the course, however, life seems to have thrown Scott into a sand trap.

To say that Scott has been struggling this season would be a severe understatement for a player that was ranked as high as No. 3 in the World Golf Rankings less than a year ago.

Scott, who will defend his title this week at the HP Byron Nelson Championship, has missed the cut in his last five consecutive events.

But, to fully understand Scott’s free-fall in the world of golf, we need to go back to the start of the 2008 season.

Following one of the best years of his career in 2007 (where Scott had a win, eight top-25 finishes, and earned more than $3.4 million on the PGA Tour), he took a nose dive in 2008.

In fairness to Adam Scott, his decline was not simply due to some kind of mental breakdown or a lack of effort on his part in 2008; the Australian suffered several injuries and setbacks both on and off the golf course.

At the start of the 2008 season, Scott parted ways with his girlfriend of seven years. 

For most hardened, "I’m tougher than nails" sports fans, this would seem like a lame excuse. But in golf, the mental game is just as important—if not more important—than the physical. Even the slightest lapse in a player’s concentration can be detrimental to his performance.

Despite separating with his long-time girlfriend, Scott began the 2008 season right where he left off the previous year. He had four top-25 finishes and a win in his first six events.

As if Scott were not battling enough mental strain from his off-the-course issues, just days prior to the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines, he slammed his pinkie finger in a car door which resulted in a fractured bone.

Playing with a broken finger, Scott still managed to finish tied for 26th at the U.S. Open, and then went on to tie for 16th at his next event which was the British Open at Royal Birkdale.

Maybe things were looking up for Scott?

Or, maybe the 2008 season still had a few more surprises to throw his way.

Following the British Open, Scott began to experience a terrible soreness in his throat, which was accompanied by lesions and, at times, a swelling of the throat that made it difficult from him to simply breathe.

During the period that Scott was plagued by this mysterious illness, he missed two-of-five cuts and didn’t finish within the top-50 at any event.

As you could imagine, Scott was gravely concerned about this mysterious illness that was making it difficult for him to breathe and draining all of his energy.

Scott went back to Australia and underwent a series of tests which ultimately uncovered that he was battling a severe, recurring case of tonsillitis.

So his finger was healed, his tonsillitis was being treated, and he had a year of distance from the painful break-up he had gone through with his girlfriend.

A player as talented as Adam Scott would surely have to get back on track in 2009, right?

Well, Scott’s year-long nightmare in 2008 as not quite over yet.

Just a couple of weeks prior to the start of the 2009 season, Scott dislocated his kneecap while surfing in Australia.

This being the sixth time he had dislocated that same kneecap, Scott opted not to undergo surgery as he had always been quick to recover from this same injury in the past.

Scott’s knee didn't seem to be an issue during his first two PGA Tour events in Hawaii.

He finished in a tie for 18th at the Mercedes-Benz Championship in January, and then tied for second the following week at the Sony Open.

Scott’s second-place finish at the Sony Open was the last time he would experience even a hint of success during the 2009 season.

Scott tied for 66th at the WGC-CA Championship in Miami in March and then proceeded to miss five consecutive cuts leading up to this week’s HP Byron Nelson Championship.

When asked about his struggles during his press conference yesterday at the Byron Nelson Championship, Scott said, "Obviously I haven't been playing well the last few weeks. It was disappointing to miss the cut at the Masters and THE PLAYERS by just one shot because I didn't play all that badly, and I really felt like I needed to get some more rounds under my belt and missing the cut doesn't get that accomplished."

Scott is only 28-years-old and has already won six times on the PGA Tour.

His swing is a picture of perfection, and if a tiny flaw does happen to find its way into his swing, he has world-renowned coach, Butch Harmon, there to fix it.

Players have completely lost their game for no apparent reason before and it will undoubtedly happen to many more in the future.

But, Scott is still overcoming some of the physical and mental disasters that plagued for most of last season.

Will he ever get back to his top form?

There’s no telling for sure, but considering his age and level of talent, he will more than likely refind his game at some point.

When that will actually happen is the biggest question.

"Really I think it's just maybe that one round that will turn it around, a good, solid round where I play some solid golf, because that's what I haven't been doing," Scott said yesterday in Texas.

"It hasn't been consistent. I can play good for nine holes or 14 holes, but then I'll hit a couple wild shots and get myself in a bit of trouble.  I think it's just one round away from being back on track again. I think the confidence will come with just that one round."

Just maybe, that one good round Scott has been after for the past two months will come at this week’s HP Byron Nelson Championship.