Paul Lawrie commits to return to the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters for his title defence
Paul Lawrie has set his sights on becoming the first player in the history of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, to record three victories, when the tournament kicks off next month, on January 23, 2012.
The tournament will be played at the Doha Golf Club in Doha, Qatar, featuring some of the prominent names on the European Tour.
For the first time in its history, the tournament will be played from Wednesday to Saturday, and will be a part of the European Tour’s three-week Middle East swing.
Lawrie, who won the event in 1999 and 2012, enjoyed a great run of form during the 2012 golf season, having won two European Tour events, including the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.
In addition to that, he also represented the European team in the Ryder Cup, and played a key role in European team’s record comeback during the final round.
He defeated Brandt Snedeker in the Sunday Singles match and scored an important point for his team.
Talking to the European Tour’s official website, he stated that he holds a strong track record in the tournament.
Moreover, his experience on the venue course will also provide him advantage over his competitors in the tournament.
In the meantime, he also admitted that the pressure of title defence can affect his performance in the US$2.5 million event.
“It’s a tournament I enjoy, where I’ve not only won twice but had a lot of good finishes,” said Lawrie. “It’ll be my third event of 2013 so I should be game sharp, more than I would be if it was my first event”.
“I know the course well, as we’ve played there many times. I look forward to going back, but there are very few people who go to tournaments and successfully defend. Obviously you go there with good feelings, but sometimes that holds you back a wee bit,
makes it harder to win again,” added the eight-time European Tour winner.
Last year, the tournament was reduced to 54 holes, after the inclement weather forced the game to suspend several times during the week.
Despite playing under windy conditions in the final round, Lawrie kept control over his game, and recorded a 65 to post a 15-under par tournament score.
At the end of the week, he found himself securing a comfortable four-stroke victory in the tournament.
He is now relishing the opportunity to play the tournament in winter season, as the weather conditions resembles to the conditions in Scotland, where he grew up playing golf.
Talking about the course conditions, he said that playing low shots will be the key to success in Doha. According to him, the strong winds will not allow the players to play lofty shots.
Therefore, he will have advantage over his rivals, considering the fact the he is known for playing straight shots, rather than flying the ball up in the air.
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