January 28, 2008–Adam Scott scorched the Doha Golf Club in the final round of the Qatar Masters with a fantastic 61, breaking the course record by two strokes and winning the event by three strokes. On a day when the world was watching Tiger Woods thrash the PGA Tour pros at the Buick Inviational, Scott was doing some thrashing of his own on the European Tour. “I think I have to say that is the best round of my life,” Scott told the media following his second career win in the tournament. “I’ve shot 62 before but this is my first 61 and to do it under the pressure of a final round makes it my best ever." Many have said, including Scott's Coach, Las Vegas golf's own Butch Harmon, that Scott has the talent and ability to challenge Woods as the best player in the world. Here's hoping that 2008 is the year that Scott, the current world's fifth-ranked player, steps up and does so.
Harmon has been quoted as saying that contrary to popular opionion, he didn't teach Scott Tiger's swing, he only helped tame it a bit. Harmon says Scott came to him in 1999-when Scott played at UNLV–already swinging like Tiger, and oozing with the talent to get to the game's highest level. "They have similar builds, and they can do the same kinds of things athletically," Harmon said in Golf Digest a few years ago/ "I saw Adam and said to myself, 'Wow, this looks familiar …'"
Harmon operates the Butch Harmon School of Golf at Rio Secco Golf Club, one of two Las Vegas golf courses designed by the legendary Rees Jones. The other is Cascata.
It should also be noted that Scott's win comes in an event that fielded some of the best players in the world including Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Colin Montgomerie, Andrew Coltart, Luke Donald, Paul Lawrie and Thomas Bjorn among others.
Scott is scheduled to make his 2008 PGA Tour debut at the Northern Trust LA Open February 14-17.