Scott unhappy with Riviera PGA top 10 Australians Adam Scott and Greg Chalmers shared the same score but their emotions were poles apart after tying for 10th in the US PGA Tour event in Los Angeles. The pair finished their run at Riviera Country Club at six-under-par 278, five shots outside the playoff won by American John Merrick over countryman Charlie Beljan. It's a sign of world No.7 Scott's extremely high expectations that he marked himself hard even though he was playing his first tournament since the Australian Open in early December. It could have been better. My ball striking wasn't up to its usual par and it wasn't as good a week as I'd liked it to have been," said Scott after shooting a final-day 70, failing to mount a challenge. I thought I could come here and contend and compete. I felt my short game was good enough and it was, but I just hit a couple of really shady shots over the week. Scott at least saw some upside heading into this week's World Golf Championships Match Play event in Tucson, Arizona. I think on the last couple of holes, I finally got myself squared away with my alignment which has been an issue. I got that sorted and made some nice swings which is a big positive going into next week as I am going to need to narrow my shots in the desert. Chalmers equalled the day's low-round 67 to catapult himself to his first US tour top 10 since August and move up to No.67 in the world, within striking distance of the top 50 and a berth at the Masters in April. "No question it was a good finish," said Chalmers. I played really nicely most of the week and I am really excited about getting a top 10 and, more importantly, some world ranking points to get closer to where I want to be. I haven't got many weeks to get to the top 50 for the Masters but I am looking forward to a three-week run coming up and, if I do well, I will solve a lot of problems in my quest to get there. It is certainly foremost in my mind. Fellow Australians Marc Leishman and Stuart Appleby struggled to final-round 77s to finish tied 61st and 68th respectively. Merrick upstaged a star-studded field, beating fellow unheralded player Beljan with a par on the second playoff hole, the short driveable par-four 10th, after Beljan was unable to recover from a wild tee shot. Beljan had a chance to take the playoff to a third hole but slid a five-foot putt past the left edge to hand Merrick, a Southern California local, his first career win and a ticket to the Masters. "Growing up here in LA, I just wanted to come to this tournament," Merrick said. Now to win it, this is a dream come true. Earlier, Beljan shot a final-round four-under 67, including a final-hole birdie, to join Merrick (69) at 11-under-par 273. Defending champion and overnight leader Bill Haas could have won the tournament with an even-par round but struggled to a 73 to finish one shot behind in a tie for third with Swede Fredrick Jacobson (69) and South African Charl Schwartzel (70).