Scott sets sights on more Singapore success

After a season blighted by injury and illness, Adam Scott is hoping for a return to form when he tees off at the Barclays Singapore Open tomorrow attempting to win the title for a third time in four years.

The former world number three has slipped to 17th in the rankings but is on the comeback trail after finishing sixth at last week’s HSBC Champions in Shanghai - his first event in eight weeks.

And with victories at the Sentosa Golf Club in 2005 and 2006, the Australian is hoping for more good fortune at Asia’s richest national open this week.

“It certainly has been a happy hunting ground for me here,” said the 28-year-old Adelaide native ahead of the €3.9m event.

“Whenever you come back to a place you play well at, you get good vibes and I am certainly looking to turn my game around a bit at the moment. Coming back here is a good, positive feeling for me.

“From the first year I felt like the course fitted my eye well. I hit a lot of good shots that first year and ever since then I have played here with a lot of confidence.

“I have always been treated very well here and it’s always a good fun time here.”

It has not been the happiest of seasons so far for Scott, who has been sidelined for a large part of the year.

“I have also had some health issues so I made sure I got them sorted out before I played again,” he explained.

“I had a few bouts of recurring tonsillitis this year which came from being run down a little bit.

“I also broke my hand so haven’t practised since the Players‘ Championship. It started showing up in my results.

“It was frustrating because I wanted to play but I wasn’t prepared how I normally would be.”

Scott can draw a lot of positives from his performance in Shanghai last week, where he finished just four shots out of the play-off.

“Last week was my first hit for seven or eight weeks,” he said.

“It was certainly a little rusty but I was pretty happy with my result. Finishing sixth was not too bad and it was the first time I have put some consistent numbers on the board.

“I’m feeling pretty good about things.”