Slow starts are frustrating Adam Scott

Adam Scott has cursed his habit of making slow starts after putting himself on the back foot in the Australian Open yet again with a one-over-par 73 at Royal Sydney.

The 36-year-old opened the 2015 Open with an even-par-71 at The Australian Golf Club before clawing his way back to a runner-up finish, one shot behind winner Matt Jones.

This year, Scott opened his national championship with five bogeys and four birdies in a rollercoaster round that was the result of every aspect of his game being "very average".

"Generally I've had pretty slow starts (to tournaments) this season," said Scott. "Not just here at the Aussie Open, and last year, but generally I'm very slow.

"It's something that's frustrating at times. Today it wasn't like I could have had a really great score; I didn't play well enough."

After bogeying the par-4 fifth, Scott bounced back with a 40-foot birdie on the short, par-3 sixth.

The world No.7 picked up another shot at the par-4 eighth to make the turn at one under.

However, Scott's back nine began ominously with two consecutive dropped shots on the 10th and 11th to fall to one over, before clawing back with a birdie on the par-5 13th.

With two more dropped shots and a birdie at the difficult par-3 17th, Scott signed for a 73.

Asked what he needed to improve on, Scott didn't hold back.

"Everything actually. I didn't drive well, hit the irons well, chip well or putt well today. It was all very average.

"I made it hard to get any momentum going even though I had under par on the front nine. But a couple of bad swings showed up on the back nine and put me on the back foot."

But the former Masters champion said his deficit was nothing he couldn't recover during the next three rounds.

"As long as no one runs away, six back (of leaders Curtis Luck and Lucas Herbert) is nothing really," Scott said.

"I've just got to get myself in position over the next two days and make sure I'm not too far back for Sunday."