Golf: Scott predicts more success

Adam Scott today revealed he intends his commanding victory in the £1.1m Qatar Masters to be just the first of many this season.

Scott carded a final-round 67 for a 19-under-par total of 269 at Doha Golf Club and a six-shot victory over Lancashire teenager Nick Dougherty and France’s Jean-Francois Remesy on Sunday.

The 21-year-old Australian collected the £175,000 first prize for his second European Tour victory, with six players sharing fourth place eight shots adrift including Wales’ Mark Pilkington, Scot Stephen Gallacher and England’s John Bickerton.

‘‘I said at the start of the year I’d like to have a multiple-win season, and this is a good way to start,’’ said Scott, after confirming his undoubted potential in style.

‘‘I’ve got the first one early in the year, so I can really dig my heels in and I feel I’m a complete player now.’’

Scott won the Alfred Dunhill Championship in January 2001 but failed to make the most of several good opportunities last season, in particular letting slip a two-shot lead in the last round of the English Open.

He added: ‘‘It feels great to be winning again.

‘‘I had my chances last year but didn’t see it through. But I felt really good this week and was really calm out there for the first time in that situation. It’s the most relaxed I’ve felt on a golf course.

‘‘I was telling myself to be so patient from previous experience when I got a bit panicky last year. It was definitely disappointing last year. You feel like you are playing well and all of a sudden Sunday comes along and you’re put under the gun and you don’t perform well.

‘‘Winning for the second time is almost harder than winning the first time, so today was very satisfying.’’

Scott began the day three shots clear of the field and was never in danger of being caught, especially after playing three holes in four under par around the turn.

After opening with seven straight pars, Scott hit a superb approach to four feet for a birdie two at the eighth and went one better at the 634-yard par five ninth his third shot from 133 yards pitching a foot past the flag and spinning back into the hole for eagle.

‘‘I think that was a bit of winner’s luck that sealed it for me,’’ admitted Scott.

‘‘I waited five years until Friday to hole a full iron shot (a four-iron from 200 yards for an eagle on the 15th), and now it’s two in two days.’’

Another birdie on the next maintained a six-shot cushion and further birdies on the 14th, 17th and 18th rounded off a hugely impressive performance.

Equally impressive was the display of 19-year-old Dougherty, a protege of six-time major winner Nick Faldo, who is playing his first full season on tour and struggled with a rib injury for much of the week.

‘‘It was a big day for me - the first time I’ve been in that situation,’’ said Dougherty, who turned professional last year after helping Great Britain and Ireland retain the Walker Cup for the first time.

‘‘I missed quite a lot of chances but I was so pleased how well my long game stood up to it because I’ve never felt pressure like that before. I expect a lot of myself and I said before I went out I’m not treating this as a learning experience.

‘‘If I cock up it’s not going to be part of a learning curve. I’m here to try and win now and I feel what I’ve learnt so far has prepared me to be in this situation, so I had no excuses. I’m absolutely chuffed with the result.

‘‘It was a great test, and I think I stood up to it reasonably well.’’