Scott aims for three-peat in Barclays Singapore Open  SINGAPORE -- Australian Adam Scott will shoot for a slice of history when he aims for a third successive title at the star-studded Barclays Singapore Open which tees off on Thursday.  (Levy/WireImage)
No player has won three times in a row in the $4 million, 46-year-old championship. After a below-par season by his own admission, the world No. 6 is desperate to end his year on a high note at Sentosa Golf Club's Serapong Course. "I had high expectations and didn't achieve them. I've got four more events to go and winning here will be great, a good story -- three in a row," said the dashing Australian. "I have great feelings coming back and playing here. I'm looking forward to get it going and if I have a chance to win on Sunday, it'll be nice and a great achievement. It would be pretty cool to do it." Scott will take on a powerful lineup that includes three other players from the world's top-10 in American world number two Phil Mickelson, fourth-ranked Ernie Els of South Africa and Korea's Choi Kyung-ju, who is ninth in the world. Nine of the top-10 players from the Asian Tour's UBS Order of Merit and proven winners including Ryder Cup stars Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke, U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera and three-time Major winner Vijay Singh will also stand in Scott's way at achieving golf history. Scott, who will play alongside Mickelson and rising Thai star Chapchai Nirat in the opening two rounds, has enjoyed a month-long break and with new irons in his bag, the Aussie is eager to take on the revamped Serapong Course. "I'm pretty relaxed and probably under golfed but I'm hitting it all right and hopefully I can get focussed tomorrow and get on with it. "Winning the Houston Open was probably the highlight but I had high expectations and didn't achieve them. I just didn't hit the ball well and got into a rut. Eventually, the rhythm came back and things started clicking again." Scott predicted that the Asian Tour stars could pose a big challenge despite the Barclays Singapore Open attracting a quality field. "I think this year, we'll see a big finish. The field is the strongest it's been. Obviously, 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. If some of the marquee players step up, we could have an interesting week," said Scott. Els, coming off a record seventh victory at the World Match Play Championship in Wentworth earlier this month, will need to overcome a stomach bug which saw him cancel a golf clinic Tuesday. The big South African was scheduled to have a doctor's visit him but he expects to be fit enough to challenge for the Barclays Singapore Open title, which he lost to Scott in a play-off last year. "Probably ate something, I don't know. I had some fish and mussels last night. Maybe that could be the cause, I don't know. As I said, it's not as bad as last year. Last year I was lucky to have the rain delay (in the third round) which saved me. At least I'm playing tomorrow afternoon, so I think I'll be fine," he said. He is looking forward to adding more silverware to his collection, saying his golf is as good as it's been for a while. "I have played some good golf ever since the Barclays Scottish Open and maybe I was unlucky there not to win one. And obviously that win in the World Match Play came at the right time. I've got some good tournaments till the end of the year now and let's see if my confidence can bowl with it," said Els, nicknamed the "Big Easy". Els was pleased to see the Barclays Singapore Open draw a world-class field. "With a sponsor like Barclays, they've really come into golf in a big way. Obviously the biggest tournament on the Asian Tour, and to come to a wonderful place like Singapore, it's great. "It's really about having this tournament on this golf course. And they've really got a great field here. It's the strongest field in the world anywhere in the world this week and a lot of World Ranking points. So it's wonderful for this part of the world to see this tournament being raised in profile and hopefully other tournaments can follow," he said. The big South African will play alongside Chinese star Liang Wen-chong, the current Asian Tour No. 1, and U.S. Open champion Cabrera in the opening two rounds and said he wasn't surprised to see Liang leading the UBS Order of Merit. "I think he's a player for the future and you know, he must have had a great year up to now to be leading the Order of Merit. I'm looking forward to playing with him again. And he's a really nice guy and he plays a good game," said Els. |
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