Brett Rumford has been a professional golfer for 15 years. And a very good one at that.
The 38-year-old Rumford has won seven times as a pro - including five victories on the tough European Tour.
He also saluted at the 1999 ANZ Players Championship on the Australasian Tour when he was still an amateur.
He has pocketed more than $A11.5 million in career prizemoney.
But he's not afraid to admit that he fears what Adam Scott can do with a golf club in his hands.
"It's hard not to," Rumford said on Friday after carding a spectacular seven-under 64 to shoot up the leaderboard at the halfway stage of the Australian Masters at Huntingdale.
"His game is so big - you fear his ability, what he can do, what he can reduce a golf course to with his sheer power and length.
"It's hard not to be intimidated by that kind of ability."
Rumford stressed he was talking about Scott the golfer, not Scott the man.
"I fear his game - but I love Adam," said Rumford.
"He's an absolutely top fella and I love to play with him.
" ... he never uses that against any other players.
"He just goes out there and plays."
Rumford said that every golfer in the 120-man field at the Australian Masters had the ability to hit shots with any club in the bag just as well as someone ranked in the world's top 10.
It's just that the likes of Australia's only US Masters champion did it time and time again when it really mattered.
"It's when they are in that mode and things are going well and the ball flight is coming off, rocketing off the face and they just find their rhythm," said Rumford.
"You can see it in their walk, their lack of talk and their focus.
"Their zone changes completely and you can feel that.
"You can sense that aura with anyone, let alone Adam Scott."
Which doesn't bode well for Rumford and company as they attempt to prevent the former world No.1 from claiming a third Masters gold jacket in the space of four years this weekend.
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