That's Good. Pick it Up!
Nate Oxman is a true Renaissance Man—Marion caddie, teacher, longtime golf writer, published author, and now podcast host. On That’s Good. Pick It Up!, Nate sits down with the authors behind some of golf’s best books, sharing the stories, ideas, and moments that make the game so meaningful. If you love golf and a good read, this one’s for you.
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That's Good. Pick it Up!
Steve Scott - Hey Tiger, You Need to Move Your Mark Back - Part 2
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In this engaging interview, Steve Scott shares his remarkable golf journey, from childhood dreams to a historic US Amateur run, and the lessons learned along the way. Discover insights on sportsmanship, mental toughness, and the importance of doing the right thing in golf and life.
**This is Part 2 of a 2 part series.
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Hello, and welcome back to That's Good Pick It Up. In today's episode, Made Action, just back down with Steve Scott for part two. Talk about his book, Hey Tiger, you need to move your marks back. Hope you enjoyed the first one. This one is just as good as they continue on their conversation. If you like it, please be sure to like and subscribe. And now, that's good. Pick it up.
SPEAKER_00And after that 79 the first day the next year, you know, it has to take some mental strength just to say, you know, I can shoot, you know, a few under here or five under and and make it, no problem. I'm not going to shoot another 79 and just slam the trunk and move on, right? I'm going to grind this out. Um is that something that you've always been able to do just to kind of focus, you know, and you know, play the mental game as well as the golf course.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think so. I think that, you know, you just have to kind of bear down and and give it everything you got. Um, I think that that's the that's the hallmark of of trying to play good golf, playing it competitively for sure, because you're always going to have downturns in the game. And you have to always overcome uh obstacles or you know, poor rounds, or you know, just bad uh kind of downturns in your game, and and uh you've got you know, every day's a new day, every hole is a new hole. And so you it it teaches you a lot about life, really, to uh to overcome moments like that and kind of turn things around. You do have to be pretty strong mentally to to do that. I mean, a lot of people do that. Yeah. But it's it's it's it's the challenge, it's the mental challenge to do it uh when you're not playing well and your back's against the wall. I think that's that's probably the most satisfying golf that you can play. You know, knowing when you have to do something and then pulling it off. Absolutely. I think that's there's no more satisfying feeling than that.
SPEAKER_00Your your first match was against John Harris. Did you know of you know that he was a decorated amateur player when you were, you know, slated to match up against him?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, vaguely. I knew that he was pretty good. I know he won the U.S. Amateur a few years prior, so I mean he was still he was still a heck of a player. I knew I would have to play great golf. Um and uh I I did. I hit some amazing shots and and um that was your second match, I guess. That was uh that was the second, yeah, second round match, and yeah, I knew I had to play great. Um John was a heck of a competitor, and you know, really sad to know he he unfortunately passed away last year. And uh just uh, you know, we were close. We played on the Walker Cup team together uh the following year, 1997, and uh we always stayed in touch, and you know, so uh but what a what a great competitor he was and and uh a true gentleman of the game.
SPEAKER_00And then you you had Kelly Miller in the next round. Um is it hard to kind of grind it out physically too? I mean, we touched on the mental stuff. Like how hard is that week physically for you?
SPEAKER_02I mean, physically, not a huge deal because you're you know, I was 19 years old and used to walking all the time. I mean, it was it was not that wasn't the hard part, I don't think. I think because you're running on adrenaline and I just think it's the it's the mental the mental toll that uh a seven-day golf tournament plus practice rounds takes on you. Um there's just a lot that there's a lot that goes into it. And um, you know, you keep making it deeper into the match play, and you want to continue to to go and and continue to make it make it farther. Yeah, it's it's uh but it's a it's a mental it's a mental torture test, really, is what it is.
SPEAKER_00Uh and then you played uh Ray Floyd's son in the the round of eight. Were you guys teammates yet at that time? I forget.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, Robert and I were we we weren't teammates, yeah. We played in the semifinals actually. We were uh we were paired together against each other in the semis. So that was actually kind of tough because because we knew that one one player was gonna play in the masters and one wasn't. And um and it was funny because Stanford teammates, Tiger and uh Joel Crybl played against each other as well.
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_02And uh so that was kind of that was a very strange uh semifinals in the U.S. amateur. I don't I don't know if that's ever happened again or you know, since or anything. So um yeah, I it that was uh that was kind of interesting. But you know, it was a tough match. I mean, I knew Robert was a great competitor and and I knew it was gonna be a really tough match, and I was fortunate enough to to pull one out on the on the 16th hold of to win three and two.
SPEAKER_00And then you talked about this in the book, how you know you knew of Tiger. I don't think you guys had played together before, um, and you were just kind of like blown away by his length early on, right? Like this this guy is is almost inhuman, the baby he could hit the golf ball.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, that's uh that's the perfect word, in inhuman. He's uh and yeah, I I think that uh we were paired together in a college event about nine months before that U.S. amateur.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_02And it it really help it really helped me, actually. It really helped because I didn't I knew that I I I mean, because that day I shot 80 and he shot 70. And he was the co-medalist, he was the medalist at the tournament, the college event in Hilton Head, and and I played horribly. And and but I got caught up in watching him hitting these towering three irons, you know, 240 yards over water. Guy, I mean, guys weren't doing that at all back then. I mean it was you know, now and now every other tour player can seem to do that, but um nobody was doing it back then. And he just he just hit shots that just made your jaw drop. And and I was watching him a lot that day. And then, you know, so my strategy in that in that final match was to just just not watch him hit a shot. I mean, I just didn't want to watch him, I didn't want to get caught up because I I you you because it's so easy to. Yeah. Um and I didn't watch him swing. Obviously, I heard his ball hit the hit the club, and sounds like a gunshot coming off the off the face of the club. But uh, yeah, he he um he just I I couldn't I couldn't get caught up in his world. I could only focus on mine.
SPEAKER_00Was that hard for you to do? To did you have to keep reminding yourself, like, hey, I'm this is my game plan. I'm not gonna watch him hit a shot. I gotta keep doing that. Did you have to keep giving yourself those reminders? Did Christy do that for you or how'd that work out?
SPEAKER_02That's that's very hard. Yeah, yeah, that's that's very hard to do, really. Uh yeah, to not to not watch. Um just to kind of get lost, look up in the trees or something. Like, I mean, you're just kind of you're just kind of getting lost in something else for the moment, uh, really. That's it. And um yeah, it's pretty pretty crazy how how how I did that, but it it was it it really helped. It really helped.
SPEAKER_00And how about talk to me about like your ment your mentality when you were you were playing so well early, you know, and you built, you know, a significant cushion. Is it also hard to say, hey, this is this is a 36-hole match, you know, there's so much golf left, and this guy's such a a competitor that you know it's not safe. That did that weigh on you at all?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, being five up after 18 holes, I mean, I knew he was gonna play, I knew he was gonna come out and play well in the second eighteen. I mean, I I just I knew it. So I knew I had to go out and play well, which which I did. I mean, I shot the equivalent of two under par in the second eighteen.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And he he shot the equivalent of seven under par and and uh which could have been, you know, he could have shot ten under that afternoon. He played so well. He missed a just a couple putts around the front edge, and like it was I mean, he he played he played completely different than he did in the morning. I mean, it was just it's remarkable with everything he had riding on that match, not only the golf history, the the maybe turning professional, uh, the Nike$40 million Nike contract. I mean, like, like there was so much riding on that match. And for him to compartmentalize all that and just go and and play the way he did was just, I mean, it it's one of the greatest, greatest rounds of golf ever.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Uh I um for for Mary and as we lead up to the USM in in August, I I've done an interview for the last like two years with a competitor from the 2005 USM. I did one with JC Deacon, which was fun. And um so many of those guys just talk about how you know crazy it is in match play when you just catch somebody who just you know goes crazy like that, and you there's nothing you can do. You know, it's match play, you know, it's just wild. Like it's just unbelievable how that works sometimes. And sometimes, you know, you play well and you shoot even par and it's nowhere near enough, and sometimes you sh play poorly and shoot even par and it's good enough to win. Just crazy.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It is. It is. Match play is uh is a totally different game, it's a totally different animal. And so um I love it though. I love the the fact that each hole is its own tournament, and and uh it it really makes me play golf in the present. I think stroke play, it it allows you to look in the past or the future too much, right? Because all the shots carry over. And so, but in match play, you know, you make a you make a 10 and your opponent makes a four, you're only one down. And I think that's the beauty of it. Like it it doesn't put it puts less pressure on each shot, I think.
SPEAKER_00Yep, yep. That makes sense. Um and the the the weight you mentioned in the book, you know, in between 18s, you know, wasn't favorable. Um is that something that you think about like often? Like, man, why the heck was that delay so long? Why was it 90 minutes and not 40 minutes? Or I don't know if there's a standard. I forget what you mentioned in the book.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I I I don't know, honestly. I think it had to do a lot with uh with the TV coverage and and the fact that uh, you know, if I win a few holes early in that second 18, I mean I could be seven up with nine to play, and the match could be over almost. Uh and so I I don't know. I think that that was probably part of it. They wanted to make sure that we at least went a little uh a little longer on TV. So yeah, I I I don't know. No right or reason. I mean, I guess that was had to be the reason.
SPEAKER_00Yep, yep. All right, we gotta talk about the flop shot. All right. Wal walk me through it. Um the shots leading up to it on the hole, and you know what you're thinking standing over the golf ball. It was a shot that you know you had to flop it and it had to go in, or you know, you were in trouble, right?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean the green runs away from you and and you know, Tigers on the green about 30 feet away. He doesn't have a gimme, a gimme birdie by any means. Uh and um yeah, I just I got up there and the ball's a little above my feet, which helps it uh elevate, and it was a little on an upslope, which helps it get up in the air as well, and um it was just perfect, really. I mean, I I I mean I'd hit that shot many times before, but to make it in that circumstance was uh pretty remarkable for sure.
SPEAKER_00And uh does Christy still give you a hard time about ignoring her when she was trying to celebrate with you?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. She kind of she wanted to give me a high five, and I I totally, you know, didn't even s I don't know, I was just in my own little world for a second, and and uh she slapped me on the back and we we moved on to the back of the green. But uh yeah, yeah, she she uh she'll needle me on that for sure.
SPEAKER_00Um can you talk a little bit about how I I like how you mentioned Pumpkin Ridge that at Pumpkin Ridge that you you know the right to left shots that it required really, you know, suited your game. You know, and that's something that is that something you noticed the first time you played it?
SPEAKER_02Not really, no. I just I mean I I don't know. Looking back, I I always kind of wondered why did I play so well there? Why did why did that course fit me? And yeah, there were so many shots that were right to left shots that that I mean it's it's kind of remarkable really how many that it really I mean there's not too many shots that really required a fade. Um yeah, I just I don't know. I love the I I I just I look back and yeah, I mean so many shots were either like you know, you could hit a straight ball or you could draw it. And it didn't really, you didn't need to hit a fade. Um so I don't know. It just it just worked.
SPEAKER_00Was there a moment on the back nine there where, you know, after the flop shot where you felt like, wait a minute, like I got some momentum, but then like things kind of turned back toward Tigers' favor. And, you know, again, he's probably like the the robot-like person that he is was like, you know, I'm still I can still win when so many people would crumble after that. You know, he made a comeback, you make this flop shot, you kind of held on to your lead, and then some guys would have faltered, but he somehow has this ability just to like continue to put the pedal down no matter what the heck is happening. Did was there a point where you were like, wait a minute, this guy just will not stop?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, pretty much the whole second 18. Uh yeah, he just he just yeah, he he's uh just I mean, just unbelievable how how he flipped the switch from the morning 18 to the second 18, and and um yeah, that that putt on the 11th hole he made for Eagle was I mean, after the flop shot I made. Um and I'm mind you, I'm up there, I've got three feet for Birdie. Like I'm gonna make Birdie. Yeah. And he's got a putt. He could you could three putt half the time. I mean, it was not an easy putt. Um, and he he he makes it. And so, you know, instead of at least tying the hole, you know, I lose the hole. It's like, okay, well, um, I thought I could, you know, there was a good scenario where I could have won it. Yeah. And um, yeah, anyway, it's just uh he just he just pulled a lot of rabbits out of his hat and continued to do that throughout his professional career.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and sure did. Um when the match is over, you know, you mentioned this in in the book and how, you know, at the speeches Tiger didn't, you know, acknowledge you and you didn't. That's something that's kind of ingrained in you to respect the game. Not saying that Tiger disrespected it, but for whatever reason, you know, he didn't acknowledge you afterward. Um and I really liked how you decided to write that open letter to him, just kind of laying it everything out there. Is that something you knew that you were gonna do at the start of the book, or when did that, you know, pop into the the picture writing that open letter to him?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I you know, I don't know. We actually had to change the letter a bit because you know, the my my initial letter didn't have that was before he had that awful car accident um in Los Angeles. So I had to kind of tweak some of the the wording of of it. But uh, you know, the whole the whole idea remained the same that um you know it'd be really cool to someday, you know, sit and talk about that match.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, you know, I I think I think we well, I actually talked to him last year. His uh I was covering a golf tournament that his son was playing and and um in Pinehurst and we chatted for a couple minutes here and there and a couple of rounds, and but uh, you know, didn't ever get too deep into anything. But um, you know, it was cool to it was cool to see him and and get to say hello and um you know it was that was pretty cool.
SPEAKER_00Um and like you mentioned a few times in the book, the the um telling him to move his mark back was something that it you probably didn't even ponder, right? It was just you know, he didn't move his bat mark back. I'm telling you, and like there's nothing like um, should I do this, should not, should I not do this, right? It was just this is the way to do it, you did it.
SPEAKER_02It was a complete reflex action. You know, it's one of those things as as a golfer, you you learn at a young age that that's you you play by the rules and you you know the spirit of the game of golf is is just that. It's it's uh you know, you you help your opponent uh find a golf ball in the woods. You I mean there's no other sport where you you assist your opponent and it could it could turn around and and end up you know uh costing you the match. Yeah. Um and there's no other sport that does that. And I think that that's uh yeah, it's just the hallmark of that moment, uh the hallmark of the book. Um it's you know, doing the right thing is the right thing. No matter what the outcome is, you you you have to look in yourself in the mirror. Um, you know, if I would have not said anything, whether on purpose or or maybe I just forgot, you know, like I mean I would and and maybe I would have won the match. It would have been a very I don't know. It just I think to this day it would have been very empty. Um it would have been it would have been uh and people could have looked at that like, you know, it maybe not have remembered me for winning as much as Tiger losing. Um I don't know. It's it's uh it happened the way it was supposed to happen. Uh I've got a lot of mileage out of the moment, uh, you know, doing doing the right thing, and people remember that. And you know, a lot of times, you know, people remember they remember how you act more way more than what the final score is. And and so that's that's the way I try to live my life. And um, you know, I'm always proud of that. I never I never look back and say, you know, what if I just kept my mouth shut? Uh I I I don't I don't think about that. I haven't lost any sleep about it at all. And and I'm I'm very proud of that, that I learned that in the game and and um you know passing that along to anybody else who will listen.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, you should be proud of it for sure. And you know, obviously it wouldn't have been, you know, your fault, you know, per se, but if you hadn't told him, you know, because let's say you just weren't paying attention, you know, you probably would have received like a ton of backlash, don't you think? Like this is the guy who prevented Tiger from winning, you know, three straight USMs. Like he doesn't know the rules.
SPEAKER_02You know, I would I would have probably looked like the villain, right? Yeah, for sure. For sure. And it it could have, it could have been very innocent. I I mean, in the moment, I mean, you're you're so you're I don't know. I mean, the last thing you're really thinking of, I mean, you're you're just focused on yourself and trying to to to play great, and there's so much pressure. And uh there, I mean, there were so many things that that could have prevented me from telling him, you know, and just very innocently, you know, it would have nothing that I would have consciously done. It was just like, oh man, I I I forgot. And and it and you had to do it in that moment, or else, you know, I couldn't have gone back five minutes later and been like, you know, after he putted it from the wrong spot, oh, oh, by the way, like, then I mean it just it it wouldn't have been right. And I'm glad it happened the way it happened, honestly.
SPEAKER_00And how how awesome was it to get it to experience that with Christy? She did a great job too, you know, in her um afterward. I thought it was really well done, and it was nice to hear things from her point of view. Um, it just must have been such a special experience for you guys to share.
SPEAKER_02It was, it was, you know, like yeah, she she did a great job in in her part, and um, she's just a great caddy. I've we've been married for almost 27 years now. So, I mean, she's just she's a phenomenal life partner um in so many ways. And uh yeah, it was that was cool to have her her perspective written down in that for you know future generations of of Scots and future generations of golfers and caddies, everybody to understand, you know, what it was like to be in that moment from from her perspective, not never hitting a shot.
SPEAKER_00Tell me a little bit about what you're up to now and how you've kind of you know found uh another life in golf after after your competitive the competitive side. I know you've been in the club pro business for a while, but you know, can you talk about your what you're doing now?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I've been a PGA of America Professional for oh about 20 years now. So I was a head pro at a few different clubs up in New Jersey and New York for nine years and a few other years as an assistant. And now I I run a competitive amateur golfing society called the Silver Club Golfing Society and for single-digit handicaps, and we set up events at clubs all over the country and around the world, and uh we have members of our society like you would any normal club, and and so um yeah, it's really cool. Everybody's everybody can play a little bit, they appreciate the game, they love to play architecturally significant courses, and uh so we get to you know go around and help kind of be the conduit between our members and you know the ability to play a a world-class golf course, and and often I'll play with them and you know share my stories along the way and some swing thoughts and whatever. And so I I love doing that. Uh that means a lot to me to you know stay connected to the game in that respect. Um I'm also connected to the game in the golf broadcasting world. I do a lot of work for ESPN and PGA Tour Live. Um so uh I I've uh you'll see me on the on ESPN coverage there with that. Um uh there's another entity called Baby Grand Golf that's actually covering a lot of it's kind of the premier entity covering amateur golf, college golf, junior golf. So I'm I'm associated with that. Uh that's an up and coming uh up and coming streaming uh entity, and it's been really great. And um so we Yeah, th I I just love I love talking about the game. I love I love, you know, learning who the next up and coming players are. Um I love to stay connected with my Walker Cup brethren and and go to the Walker Cups. I'll be at Lahinch this September. I was at I was at uh Cypress Point last year. I was at the old course before that, seminal before that. I just I love uh I love being a part of that.
SPEAKER_00How often does the 96 USM pop into your head? I mean, I'm sure it does frequently when you play in these events and people, you know, bringing up, but on your own without somebody bringing up, how how often does it pop into your head?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, quite a bit. I mean, it's um, yeah, I it's it's something I look back at, you know, obviously I didn't win that match, but man, I played I played my heart out. I under the most extreme circumstances. So whenever I play competitively, I I think about it. Um yeah, there there's an awful lot of awful lot of times where I think about it. I've done a whole bunch of speaking engagements about it uh surrounding the book, and uh I I'll continue to do more. And um, yeah, I I think about it a lot. But it's uh, you know, it's such a it's such an amazing story to think that I was that guy in that moment against one of the greatest, if not the greatest, golfer who's ever lived. So um, you know, there's nothing but pride I have from that moment. Uh and so, you know, I don't mind thinking about it or talking about it as as much as anybody wants me to.
SPEAKER_00Tell people uh how they can get a hold of the book.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, uh you go on move thatback.com and uh and you can buy the book through there. You can also buy it through Amazon, but through the uh through the website move thatback.com, I'll sign it and uh send you a uh a cool little ball marker as a as a memento and a bookmark and and all that with it. Um and I'll personally sign it to you. So uh that's probably the best way to do it if you want a personally signed copy.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I got one for my dad for Father's Day one year. Um you signed it for him. My my dad and my uncle cadied on tour in the 70s. My dad caddied for Tom Perzer and then Jim Simons for a little bit. Um and my uncle, you uh Neil Oxman caddied for for uh Tom Watson after Bruce Edwards died.
SPEAKER_02So um Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00We got a lot of golf running through my blood.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's it's a great game, isn't it?
SPEAKER_00Sure is. I I really appreciate the time, Steve. Thanks so much for for making it happen. And I'll I'm gonna shoot Colin Sheen a note for connecting us. And I'll keep you posted when the the podcast episode comes out.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, my pleasure. My pleasure.
SPEAKER_01Well, that's it for this interview of That's Good Pick It Up, where Nate was talking with Steve Scott on a two parter about his book, Hey Tiger, you need to move to Market Back. Please be sure to follow this and other shows on the Best Ball family by visiting Bestball.com. We'll be back next week for more stories. That's good pick it up.