A year later, Scott is back at the scene of his greatest triumph, a thrilling play-off victory over Angel Cabrera that gave the 33-year-old Australian his first major championship. The breakthrough, after so many close calls and missed chances, has propelled him to the greatest run of his career, including top-five finishes at both the US Open and British Open.

Scott knows he has the game to add another major title or two to his résumé. He's eager to take advantage of it. "I'm at the highest level I've ever been at," Scott said. "My window of opportunity, I really think, is right now, and I don't know when it will close. So I just have to keep going as hard as I can right now."

From the back of the room, his parents, Phil and Pam Scott, looked on proudly. After Adam was done with his interview session, they joined him on the podium for a family photo.

Phil Scott is pleased with the way his son has dealt with his increased fame. "You can have respect for everything, from the game to the course to you guys," the father told a small group of reporters. "You've got a choice to do it nicely or not. If you take the choice to do it nicely, I think you will have a better time."

Phil Scott, who once coached his son, got a chance to join him on the course for practice rounds last Friday and Sunday. It was the thrill of a lifetime for both.

The elder Scott said he probably shot in the low 80s, though neither of them took the round too seriously.

Instead, they relived some of the moments from Adam's victory a year ago, from the clutch birdie putt on the 72nd hole that led the golfer to shout "C'mon, Aussie!" to the 12-footer on the second play-off hole that gave him the green jacket.

"My dad's been coming here for all these years I've been playing, so it was nice for him to stand in the middle of the fairway rather than out on the edge," Scott said.

Not long after Scott finished off Cabrera down at the 10th hole, the winner began thinking of what it would mean to his life. Unlike so many first-time winners who are caught off guard by their newfound fame, he had a keen appreciation for how much things would change.

Scott learned to manage his time better, dealing with his increased obligations while making sure it didn't affect the hours he needed to spend at the practice range. In addition, he eagerly relished the perks that came with being a Masters champion.

"After winning this tournament last year and everyone asking me what the best thing about it was, I always felt like there would be things in the future that would be great about coming back here for the rest of my life," Scott said. "I've got lots of those memories to look forward to.'