DOHA, Qatar, March 15 (UPI) -- An eagle on the 466-yard 15th hole, the toughest hole at Doha Golf Club, helped Australian Adam Scott into a three-shot lead Friday after two rounds of the Qatar Masters.
The 21-year-old Australian eventually carded a 66 for an 11-under total of 133 and a healthy advantage over nearest challengers Klas Eriksson of Sweden, Anders Hansen of Denmark and Jose Manuel Lara of Spain.
Scott, the winner of the 2001 Dunhill Championship, did not produce a perfect drive at the 15th with his tee shot running out of fairway into the semi-rough. But he more than made up for it with his second. His hit a 5-iron from 200 yards, a shot that landed in the middle of the green and rolled the remaining 25 feet into the cup.
"You need a little bit of luck now and again because I certainly didn't expect it to go in," said Scott. "But funnily enough, I was saying to my caddie the other day that it has been about five years since I holed a full iron shot like that in play. So perhaps I was due one."
After the 15th, the Australian missed a birdie chance from 18 feet at the 16th. But he holed a 15-footer at the 17th for birdie.
"I'll just continue hopefully to keep playing the way I have been playing," said Scott. "I can't control what other players are going to do but if I keep playing the way I have over the first couple of days then I think it will be good enough."