As Adam Scott shuffled into the Oval Office for a meeting with Donald Trump, the Australian's mind wandered back to the range.
That's where the former world No.1 half-jokingly conceded he'd rather be, instead of adopting the role of diplomat as the PGA Tour's player advisory council director, attempting to reunify the professional game.
In February the 44-year-old former Masters champion, and PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, met with the President at the White House.
They discussed the attempts of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund - LIV Golf's backer - to align with the PGA Tour, a move first flagged in 2023.
But ahead of this week's Players Championship at Florida's TPC Sawgrass, Scott insists he has no future in politics.
"It is a surprise that it's taken this turn," Scott said of his role in golf's drawn-out power struggle.
"It was an incredible experience to be at the White House and be in the Oval Office and see the goings-on of what's happening in Washington DC, but it's not something that I really feel like I need to or want to spend more time on.
"I want to play better golf, to be perfectly honest with you. That would be nice. I probably should spend that time practising."
A Players champion in 2004, Scott has shown remarkable consistency to sit as Australia's No.1 at No.25 in the world rankings.
But the last of his 14 PGA Tour wins came five years ago, with two runner-up and five top-10 finishes in a resurgence last year.
The Aussie veteran is keen to meet compatriot Karl Vilips, who will tee it up at Sawgrass fresh off a victory in just his fourth PGA Tour event.
The 23-year-old's three-stroke victory at the Puerto Rico Open came after the Perth product graduated from the Korn Ferry Tour and dominated college golf at the former school of Tiger Woods, Stanford University in California.
He had recently signed on as the first PGA Tour ambassador for Woods' apparel company, Sun Day Red, and received a congratulatory text from the 15-time major champion after his breakout win.
"Yeah, it's the ultimate, it's incredible," Scott said of Australia's latest golf hope.
"The college system is just unbelievable these days.
"It was not really a focus, I guess, on juniors and amateurs in Australia when I was young, but now I would encourage everyone to come over here and get a taste for it.
"He's done an incredible job, even down to doing the YouTube and putting himself out there.
"It's a different generation than me, for sure, but I know he's working, he's got a great team around him, and it's paying off, and now he's set himself up for the beginning of what can be an incredible career."
Jason Day, the 2016 champion, Cam Davis and Min Woo Lee join the Australian pair in the field at the Players Championship starting Friday (AEDT).
