Great Scott's a record breaker

Australian Adam Scott cruised to his third European Tour title with a record-breaking 10-shot victory in the Scottish PGA Championship at Gleneagles.

Scott carded a final round 63 for a 26-under-par total of 262 to claim his second win of the season.

The 22-year-old’s winning margin bettered the previous best this season of eight shots, set by Retief Goosen in winning the Johnnie Walker Classic in January.

It was also the lowest score on tour this season, beating Jose Maria Olazabal’s total of 22 under in the Hong Kong Open, and was just one short of the all-time European Tour record of 27 under held by American duo John Daly and Jerry Anderson.

Scott was a 22 under for the 20 par fives this week, and although his 63 will not count as a joint course record as preferred lies were in operation due to the wet conditions, it does earn him a Rolex watch for the lowest round of the tournament.

Scotland’s Raymond Russell closed with a 68 to take second place, his best finish since winning his only tour title in 1996, with Sam Torrance a shot further back in third, the Ryder Cup captain also enjoying his best finish since his last win in 1998, the day after his 49th birthday.

Scott’s five-shot lead at the start of the day was briefly cut to three as Russell birdied the first two holes, but Scott’s birdie on the second coupled with a dropped shot from Russell on the third soon restored the Australian’s overnight lead.

A birdie on the fourth stretched the lead still further and although Torrance closed within four thanks to three birdies and an eagle in his first eight holes, Scott was never in real danger of being caught.

Two more straightforward birdies on the par five ninth and 12th kept him firmly out of sight and there was still time for another grandstand finish.

He finished eagle-birdie-birdie on Saturday but went one better with an eagle on the 16th, birdie on the 17th and 35-foot eagle putt on the 18th to be home in just 30 shots.