Scott smelled when the load fell

by Mark Hayes on Pebble Beach

(Photo from USGA / Michael Reaves)

The pain was etched on Adam Scott's face.

Another daring big champion run made the trophy cupboard crack a crack, but there was no cutlery to deposit.

And it hurt.

The Australian, normally so silky and polished with his choice of words after good and bad rounds, was much more economical and emotional after his brilliant end 68, making him six in the US Open and in a shared seventh on Pebble Beach.

The pain was not that he had completed seven shots behind champion Gary Woodland, but that he had reached nine to twelve holes with birdie opportunities ahead and the leader well in sight.

But a drive out of bounds to the right of the 13th was later followed by three-putt bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes when his chances disappeared.

"It's hard not to have an emotional verdict at the moment," Scott said after gritting after his round.

"I am very angry at my finish."

It was remarkable his 19th top-10 grand championship final, but with only one title – the 2013 Masters – to his name.

"I want to win one of these so much – I think I play so much consistent golf, but that's a bit annoying.

"I miss almost every cut and win one tournament for the whole year if it was a major. So it's annoying."

Scott was within three of Woodland's lead after he shot his beautiful tee to the par-three 12th rolled to within 1m and he converted for his fourth birdie of the day.

Previously, he had not only tamed the three openings in the opening that had hurt him in the previous rounds, but he birdied the third and pumped his fist while his perfect eagle sputt on the sixth triggered his attack

Birdies on the hard ninth and tenth only seemed to suggest that his large but unpaid shape from the previous three rounds was about to pay off.

Scott said he didn't have a total in mind when he was on the 13th tee.

But anyway, in a hugely uncharacteristic mega-slice, such a & # 39; n thought was challenged

"I didn't think about anything at all, just play and try to steer things in the right direction," said the Queenslander.

"But one loose swing off 13 tee was quite expensive and of course three-putting 16 and 17 wasn't ideal either.

"I don't know if that ultimately made a difference or if it just rubs salt in the wound.

"If I have posted ten (below) … you don't know how that works (Woodland and runner-up Brooks Koepka).

"Maybe they play better, maybe not. I'm just disappointed that I don't have to do the last few holes in a better way. There were some good things, but it wasn't great.

"I don't know what that is right now … whether it is a lack of focus.

"It's hard. It's a weird game. My swing didn't feel as good today as yesterday, but everything seemed to be heading my way.

"But it's pretty hard to shoot a 63 to win a US Open. That happened once, Johnny Miller (in 1973).

"Moreover, I have a few things to look at from the previous days. There are things to work on, marginal things like missing greens with short irons from the fairway. How much does that count? Maybe I could have been below par today at eight o'clock and I have been there

"Then my way of thinking would have been different. It is difficult. When you are forced to go for it, anything can happen. It was nice to get it going a little, but frustrated that I was not doing my best for the last few holes. "

Scott was again the striking Australian, as he was in the American PGA in New York last month.

His fellow Queenslander Jason Day finished in a 21 out of two share and had threatened to go low today, just to make his challenge disappear.

Day birdied the difficult first and third holes, but then had no other birdie until the 16th in his slot 69.

Marc Leishman had the great experience of playing with Tiger Woods and had the Masters champ & # 39; s mate early enough, and also rode to the fringes of the rankings with his second birdie of the day on the sixth.

Woods, who had been four at the time, came into action, just as Leishman's attack ended. The Victorian made bogeys on the 10th, 11th and 14th but reacted well with birdies on 15, 16 and 18.

But a dragged t-shirt shot in the deep grass to the left of the 17th devastated his chances of a sub-par finish, 72 good enough for an over total and a share of 35.

Cameron Smith was the first Aussie on the last day and played the same 72 to end in eight over and tied for 72nd.