Off-form Scott eyes third Singapore title
A winner by seven strokes in 2005, the Australian retained the title last year, outlasting Ernie Els in a three-hole play-off at Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong course.
But — with just one win this season, at the Shell Houston Open — the 27-year-old admits he has not been happy with his golf form in 2007.
“I started the year quite well but from June to August, it was quite average,” said the Australian.
“I was looking for a more consistent year with better performances. Winning the Houston Open was probably the highlight but I had high expectations and didn’t achieve them.”
However, he believes success this week at the Singapore Open — a tournament that no player has managed to win more than twice since its inception in 1961 — would help to make up for some of his disappointment.
“I’m not really feeling much pressure. I have great feelings coming back and playing here,” said Scott, who has not played since representing the International team at the Presidents Cup in late September.
“I’m looking forward to get going here and if I have a chance to win on Sunday, it’ll be nice to win three in a row, which would be a great achievement.
“It would be pretty cool to do it here.”
The event features six of the top 20 golfers in the world including number two Phil Mickelson and number four Els but Scott believes that Asian Tour golfers could give the big name players a run for their money this week.
“I think that this year, we’ll see a big finish. The field is the strongest it’s been but the Asian Tour players do have an advantage over some of us who come in on the off week and come to play,” he said.
“We also have to deal with the humidity and the greens. The Asians have a knack of reading the grainy greens here. The level of play on the Asian Tour is improving every year and it won’t surprise me to see the Asian Tour regulars challenging this week.
“If some of the marquee players step up, we could have an interesting week.”
High-profile players Ernie Els and Lee Westwood have this week both criticised the European Tour for the late scheduling of the season-ending Volvo Masters, which meant it clashed with their lucrative trip to Asia.
Els is the Order of Merit leader but may lose that crown because of his absence at Valderrama.
However, there will be no repeat next season as the Asian Tour has announced the tournament will be held between November 6 and 9 — a week after the Volvo Masters.
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