Qatar Masters

[FC Basher]

Adam Scott will attempt to maintain his 100 per cent record in the Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy and seal a hat-trick of victories when he defends his title at Doha Golf Club this week.

Scott has won on both of his previous appearances in the event, first claiming the title in 2002 and then returning to lift the trophy last year.

The Australian claimed a stunning victory 12 months ago after a breathtaking final round 61- the equal lowest round of the 2008 season and one which included 11 birdies, the equal most carded in a round last year.

It also shaved two shots off the course record; was the lowest final round by a winner since Jamie Spence shot 60 to win the 1992 European Masters, and, not surprisingly, it was Scott’s lowest ever round. The World Number 14 heads to the Gulf in good form, having finished tied runner up behind Zach Johnson in the Sony Open in Hawaii last week.

He will face strong competition from an impressive field which features 18 players from the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking, including The European Tour’s newest Member, American Ryder Cup star Boo Weekley, who makes his first appearance this week since taking up Affiliate Membership.

One of golf’s great characters, the man from south Florida, who regularly cites his true passions in life as “hunting and fishing”, has, in the last two years, taken the golfing world by storm not only for his outstanding performance on the course but for his candid approach to life off the fairways.

A two-time winner on the US PGA Tour and a driving force in Team USA’s dramatic victory in The 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla Golf Club where he won two and a half out of a possible three points, Weekley is currently 45th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Weekley will come across nine of the 12 Europeans that he so memorably duelled with at Valhalla when arrives at the magnificent Doha Golf Club in Qatar, namely: Paul Casey, winner of last week’s Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, Sergio Garcia, Søren Hansen, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Robert Karlsson, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood and Oliver Wilson.

The American is sure to enjoy his new adventures on The European Tour as it touches down in another fascinating country in Qatar, while Casey will be hoping to continue his fine form in the gulf after his one shot victory in Abu Dhabi last week.

The 31 year old Englishman survived a late scare to secure the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship by a single shot from defending champion Martin Kaymer and South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen to land his first title since winning the same tournament in 2007.

Ernie Els is also among the star attractions in the Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy. The winner of the tournament back in 2005, Els will return to the 7,388-yard Doha Golf Club to tee it up alongside another former champion, Retief Goosen, who will be buoyed by his win in the Africa Open at the weekend.

Organised by the QGA in association with the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and Commercialbank, the twelfth Commercialbank Qatar Masters, presented by Dolphin Energy gives Els a chance to get on The European Tour title trail after starting his 2009 campaign on the US PGA Tour with back-to-back events in Hawaii where he finished tied for sixth in the Mercedes-Benz Championship.

“I’ve been a professional golfer for twenty years now and for me the buzz of a new season never wears off,” said Els. “I’m consciously not making too many bold predictions for 2009.

“I’m coming off the back of a season where my golf was a little mixed and where I made quite a few significant changes both on and off the golf course. I feel confident, but at the same time I have the mindset where I simply want to enjoy it all, play a lot of golf, do a lot of practicing and really stay dedicated. That’s the approach.”
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Each-way 1/4 1-2-3-4-5
Sergio Garcia 9/1
Adam Scott 10/1
Ernie Els 12/1
Henrik Stenson 14/1
Retief Goosen 16/1
Robert Karlsson 16/1
Lee Westwood 18/1
Martin Kaymer 20/1
Paul Casey 20/1
Rory McIlroy 20/1
Johan Edfors 35/1
Ross Fisher 40/1
Boo Weekley 45/1
Soren Hansen 45/1
Darren Clarke 45/1
Justin Rose 45/1
Jeev Mikha Singh 50/1
Anders Hansen 50/1
Charl Schwartzel 50/1
Miguel Angel Jimenez 55/1
Rod Pampling 55/1
Aaron Baddeley 55/1
Peter Hanson 55/1
Richard Green 60/1
Alexander Noren 66/1
Thongchai Jaidee 66/1
Oliver Wilson 66/1
Louis Oosthuizen 66/1
Anthony Wall 70/1
Brandt Snedeker 70/1
Francesco Molinari 70/1
Alvaro Quiros 70/1
Soren Kjeldsen 80/1
Danny Willett 90/1
Oliver Fisher 90/1
Colin Montgomerie 100/1
Bradley Dredge 100/1
Andrew McLardy 100/1
Prayad Marksaeng 100/1
David Lynn 100/1
Nick Dougherty 100/1
Steve Webster 100/1
Graeme Storm 110/1
Gonzalo F-Castano 110/1
James Kingston 110/1
Michael Campbell 110/1
Pablo Larrazabal 110/1
Ricardo Gonzalez 110/1
Richard Finch 110/1
Simon Dyson 110/1
Peter Hedblom 125/1
Jyoti Randhawa 125/1
David Howell 140/1
Paul Lawrie 140/1
Raphael Jacquelin 150/1
Brett Rumford 150/1
Robert Jan Derksen 150/1
Scott Strange 150/1
Phillip Archer 150/1
Thomas Björn 150/1
Stephen Gallacher 150/1