GOLD COAST, Queensland -- Adam Scott says that while he will be concentrating on winning a second Australian PGA Championship, he will have one eye on Tiger Woods' return.
Woods is competing at the 18-man Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas this week, his first competitive action for 16 months -- and Scott admits he is excited to see the 14-time major champion back.
"Hopefully he's on the road to coming back to playing some really good golf," Scott said. "It's good for everyone if he does and it will be good to see him playing back at the top level again.
"I'll put the TV on to watch that one, for sure."
Talking about his own chances at Royal Pines, Scott, winner of the event in 2013 and runner-up after a playoff the following year, says he has had difficulty in posting a decent opening round at his last couple of events.
He shot 76 at the Japan Open last month, resulting in him missing the cut, and that was followed by a 70 at the CIMB Classic and a 73 at the Australian Open in Sydney a fortnight ago.
Scott is in the second group out in his home territory of the Gold Coast and wants to make an early impact.
"Sometimes you've got to take the mindset like Thursday is Sunday and that's it," the 36-year-old told reporters. "There's only one round to try and shoot the lowest round of the day.
"Win the day or whatever game you want to play in your head, sometimes you've got to do that when you want to make a point of getting off to a good start or change the way you've been starting.
"I think I've started fairly cautiously, certainly in Sydney anyway. I don't think it cost me the tournament, but I was on the back foot right from the start. I'd like to jump out of the gates and be right in the mix from day one and then I think I've got a leg up on the tournament."
Scott will have to hold off the challenge of World Cup of Golf teammate Marc Leishman, as well as defending champion Nathan Holman and Englishman Ian Poulter, who admitted he is finding it "mentally hard" to get back into the nature of competitive golf.
PA Sport contributed to this article.
