AUGUSTA, Ga. -- There is something about walking into the Champions Locker Room at Augusta National, pulling the green jacket off the hanger and wearing it around the club that brings back a level of satisfaction, an air of confidence.
Look at Fred Couples, 25 years after his Masters title, making the cut with ease. How about Larry Mize, 30 years after winning his green jacket, playing on the weekend? Phil Mickelson loves the place, as does Jordan Spieth, who in four appearances has been in contention every time.
Then there is Adam Scott, the first Australian to win the Masters when he prevailed in a playoff in 2013, launching a year-long celebration that reached the far corners of the Earth and beyond.
It is quite possible that no victory was enjoyed by its champion with such determination to let as many people revel in it as well.
And now he's got a chance again.
Scott, 36, shot 3-under-par 69 on Saturday at Augusta National to push himself up the leaderboard and into position for a second green jacket. He's just 3 strokes behind co-leaders Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia, but with four more players in front of him.
"I think the pedigree in front of me is good,'' Scott said as the leaders finished the tournament and he assessed his chances. "And I know with conditions like this, three or four guys are going to have good scores [Sunday]. It's going to be hard for them to go out and shoot 66, 65. If they do, they deserve to win because they're also playing with the lead.
"And it's not easy to do, it seems, these days, to protect that lead. That's where I have a little advantage to sneak up on them on the front nine, and then I only have to deal with nine holes of pressure.''
Scott was just a shot back of Angel Cabrera and Brandt Snedeker heading into the final round four years ago, and 3-under-par 69 with a birdie at the last hole appeared good enough until Cabrera made a birdie of his own to force a playoff.
It was there where Scott made a curling 15-footer at No. 10 on the second extra hole of sudden death to secure his first -- and so far only -- major title.
"It was such a big moment for Australia, for Australian sport,'' said fellow Aussie Marc Leishman, who played with Scott during that final round. "I had a good week myself. Scottie, obviously that was a life-changer for him. It's a really good memory, and I enjoy talking about it.''
Leishman was famously seen in the background of a photo in which Scott made his birdie putt on the 18th hole. There is Leishman, fist-pumping in celebration, a fellow competitor taking in the moment for his countryman.
"I've had a lot of comments about the fist pump in the background and all that, and it was probably not really like me to do that,'' Leishman said. "I rarely fist-pump my own putts. I think I just knew what it meant for Australia and for Scottie. It was just exciting. It's good to see a mate of yours do well.''
To do it again, Scott acknowledges, will take a bit more this time. He needs a good round, and some help. He is in seventh place, but not only are Rose and Garcia 3 shots head, Rickie Fowler is two in front, with Spieth, Ryan Moore and Charley Hoffman one stroke better than the Australian.
It would also help if Scott could make some putts. He fared well on the greens Saturday, but for the tournament, he has missed four putts inside 5 feet and another eight putts from 5 to 10 feet. That's 12 putts inside 10 feet that Scott has failed to convert.
You can always play the "what if'' game in golf, but certainly it is easy to see that some modicum of success from that distance would have Scott in front.
"Look, it's just hard,'' he said. "It's hard to hit a putt here.''
Scott, who is tied for second in the field in greens in regulation with 41 of 54, fared better Saturday, missing just one putt inside 10 feet and none inside 5. He will need that kind of effort again during the final round.
"I'm going to need the round of the year for me [Sunday],'' said Scott, who is paired with another former Masters champion, Charl Schwartzel. "It's cliché here at the Masters, but it all starts on the back nine. And for me in my position, I just have to play a really good front nine so I can start something on the back nine.
"But I'm going out there with no pressure, playing really well tee to green, feeling good on the greens. I just have to piece together a smart front nine and keep myself there. It's really going to be an exciting day.''
Should he win again, it is hard to imagine an Australian, anywhere, standing still.