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Adam Scott had been toying with the idea of switching putters for several months, but it’s difficult to fully commit to something different when the current gamer is performing. Ride the hot hand and don’t ask questions.
For Scott, the move to a broomstick version of L.A.B. Golf’s Mezz.1 Max in 2022 coincided with several strong seasons on the greens. The Aussie ranked 19th and 27th on Tour in SG: Putting the last two years, reinforcing the belief he was using the right putter.
Then along came a middling week at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am to shake things up.
After opening with 74-71 at an event with no cut, Scott figured there was no better time to give L.A.B.’s Oz.1 mallet an opportunity — even if his head told him it was a bad idea.
“Pro golfers are a little crazy,” Scott said. “I’d been putting so well for the last two years with the Mezz.1 Max that everyone would have said I was an idiot to change putters. But I was so involved in the process of the Oz being released, my heart wanted to change and give it a go. My head was telling me not to. I was running 70th and figured there was never a better time to throw it in.”
The Oz.1 is Scott’s baby, a putter he’s been working on with L.A.B. Golf’s team since February 2023 when initial sketches were first made. For Scott, the goal was to create a more traditional mallet shape with sleek design features while still maintaining the weighting and stability he’s come to expect L.A.B. designs.
“The L.A.B. technology is consistent through all of their putters, which I quite like,” Scott said. “Having input into the design shape of the Oz was something I enjoyed being a part of. Those things do matter when you put the putter down at address. You want to have a good vibe standing over the ball.”
The initial plan was to bring the Oz.1 out early last year, but the putter manufacturer saw significant interest in its current zero-torque designs and chose to push back the launch.
“[T]hey’ve been so busy, it got a little bit held up,” Scott said. “But the final product is worth the wait.”
With an Oz.1 broomstick in the bag for the weekend at Pebble Beach, Scott rocketed up the leaderboard with rounds of 69-64 to finish T22 for the tournament. The final round included nine birdies and saw Scott finish second in SG: Putting (plus-3.308) and feet of putts made (115 feet). Not bad for a quick weekend cameo.
Asked if he was surprised by how well the putter performed, Scott admitted it’s impossible to predict how a mid-tournament gear switch will go.
“You never know with something until it’s out in tournament play,” he said. “Unfortunately, it was a great time to do it. I putted great over the weekend and see myself sticking with it.”
Chalk one up for the heart.
