Adam Scott regroups after Open meltdown

Adam Scott says while some might be feeling sorry for him after he blew a four-shot lead with four holes to go at the British Open, he is not going to beat himself up over a missed opportunity.

"Look, I can imagine how it probably looked," Scott said Wednesday at the $8.5 million World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, the final PGA Tour event before the fourth major of the season, the PGA Championship.

"I'm disappointed that I didn't win from that position, but I left that major the same as I've left every other one -- and that's empty-handed," added the 32-year-old Australian.

The Bridgestone will be Scott's first public appearance since his epic meltdown at The Open and to top things off, the Adelaide-born golfer is the defending champ, closing with a 65 for a four-shot win last year.

"There wasn't that much healing for me," Scott said. "My game is in really great shape, and I just took a few days to rest up, and I certainly analyzed the last few holes a little bit and took out of it what I wanted, and then just thought about how great I played.

"I felt like it was my week, and I played like a champion, but I played four poor holes at the end, and you can't win and do that.

"It's just motivation for me," he said. "I think I'm on the right track. Keep doing what I'm doing and I can get myself more chances like that."

The 78-man field is for select international winners, the top 50 in the world ranking and players from the most recent Presidents Cup teams.

One of the favorites this week is Tiger Woods who, if he wins, would become the first player in PGA Tour history to win eight times on the same course.

"This will be a nice way to get our games ready for next week but also test us," said Woods, who has a tour-leading three wins this season. "This is exciting to be all together and getting ready for a big week this week but also an even bigger week next week."

But Woods has struggled mightily in his last two appearances at Akron. Last year, this was his first tournament after coming off a four-month injury break.

"I didn't play most of the summer last year and this was my first tournament back. It is a little different scenario this year," Woods said.

"I feel comfortable where I am at. When you make changes like I made in my game it takes time. Things are starting to click," Woods said.

Should Woods win this week, the current world number two could reclaim the No. 1 spot he'd held longer than anyone in history. For that to happen, current No. 1 Luke Donald would need to finish third or worse.

"It would be nice to get back there because obviously it meant that as far as I had dropped, to build my way back up to this point, I've had some wins, I've had some very high finishes, I've been consistent," Woods said.

"To be ranked as low as I did and then come all the way back to No. 2, that's pretty good."

Ernie Els, who claimed the Claret Jug when Scott stumbled to the finish at the British Open, is playing for the third consecutive week.

Els missed the cut last week at the Canadian Open but he stayed on in Toronto to throw out the first pitch at a Toronto Blue Jays baseball game.

This week begins a hugely significant stretch on the PGA Tour. After this week are the PGA Championship at Kiawah, the PGA Tour playoffs, and the Ryder Cup.

"There are a lot of big events so it is exciting for the players," Woods said.