In the lead-up to the Australian PGA Championship on the Gold Coast, Adam Scott pinpointed the opening round as the 18 holes which could turn around his Australian summer.
On Thursday, he waited until the final three holes before doing just that.
After starting on the 10th, three birdies on the seventh, eighth and ninth holes returned him to the clubhouse at four-under par, three shots off the lead but crucially just one behind New Zealand contender Ryan Fox.
From there, he is in a position to strike.
"That momentum after the last three holes is something to carry over for the rest of the week," Scott said.
"It was nice to finish strong because I generally think I'm playing better than what I've scored with."
Scott's opening rounds have cruelled him thus far this summer.
The world No.7 fired a one-over 73 in the first round of the Australian Open a fortnight ago, before going one worse with a two-over 74 last Thursday at World Cup of Golf.
He spoke of a mindset change on Wednesday, approaching the first round as if it was the last, wanting to make the most of the easier early morning conditions.
After he sunk a long putt for eagle on his third hole - the 12th on the course - he missed a short putt for birdie on the 15th and then put an approach shot wide on the 18th to bogie.
"You're one-under at the turn and you've kind of done nothing," he said.
From there caution took over as the softer greens often left his approaches short, before he exploded in the final three holes to set up his weekend.
"It's the last week of the year," he said.
"There's no 'I will get them next week' - I just have to make it count.
"It didn't look pretty at the start but somehow I was two-under after three and then hung in there and finished well."
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