Adam Scott out of Australian PGA | Golf

2nd December 2008

Adam Scott.

DEFENDING champion Peter Lonard says players wouldn't be "licking their chops" despite top hope Adam Scott's forced withdrawal from this week's $1.5 million Australian PGA Championship at the Hyatt resort.

Organisers were left in a state of shock after the world No.17 informed them on Tuesday he'd injured his right knee while swimming in the surf at Coolum Beach on Sunday and would not be taking his place as one of the tournament's major drawcards.

Precautionary MRI scans cleared Scott of any serious injury with his manager Justin Cohen confident he would recover sufficiently to play next week's Australia Open at Royal Sydney.

Lonard, who along with an emotion-charged Robert Allenby - playing for his gravely ill mother - will be shooting for a fourth PGA Championship win this week.

He said Scott would be a big loss to the tournament but added it wouldn't make it any easier to win.

"Obviously he's a great player and any time he pulls out, even in America, they miss him ... so this tournament will definitely miss him," said Lonard, a Coolum course specialist.

"But I don't think anyone will be licking their chops and going 'oh beauty, he's out, I'm a better chance than what I was'."

"I don't think many guys will actually take that much notice. Outside of the pictures (players on the tournament posters) I couldn't tell you who's playing to start with."

For Scott, who cut his teeth playing on Sunshine Coast courses, the latest mishap continues a horrid year marred by injury and illness.

He bravely played the US Open with a hand injury and battled bouts of the 'flu and tonsillitis leading up to both the US Masters and PGA Championship.

"It's a real shame for him, he's had a tough year," offered 2006 US PGA winner Geoff Ogilvy, looking for his breakthrough win on Australian soil and in hot form following a recent "social" round of 61 with mates.

"He played in the US Open with a broken hand and could only get three fingers on the club, it's been a pretty tough year.

"He wouldn't be too happy about this."

Ogilvy, who PGA drawcard John Daly said had one of the best iron games on tour, had another $US2 million year following a spectacular 2006 when he won $US4.3 million and the US PGA title.

Lonard, whose US campaign was disrupted by an untimely back injury, always seems to play well under the relaxed, party atmosphere Coolum generates.

"It (Coolum) has been really good to me the last three or four years. I usually have a few friends and I usually do everything wrong," he said.

"I barely go to the gym, eat pizza, drink beer and don't really think too much about golf.

"Maybe I should do that all year."

Daly, who vowed to keep his driver holstered around the tight, water-laced course, said if he could find some putting form he may be a chance to atone for his early exit in 2002 when he tossed his putter into the lake beside the 18th green at the end of his second round before being disqualified for failing to sign his score card.

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