Adam Scott tames the Blue Monster at Doral for second straight win on PGA Tour

For two weeks, 35-year-old Adam Scott has been asked repeatedly about whether he feels relevant in light of the youth movement on the PGA Tour.

After Scott followed last week’s Honda Classic victory by winning the WGC-Cadillac Championship on Sunday, maybe someone should ask young stars Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Rickie Fowler whether they still feel relevant.

Scott brushed aside two potentially devastating mistakes on the Blue Monster at Trump National Doral and birdied his way to a three-under-par 69 and a one-shot victory over Bubba Watson.

Starting the final day three shots behind McIlroy in a tie for second with Dustin Johnson, Scott overcame watery double bogeys on the third and fifth holes to claim the $1.62-million winner’s check.

He did it by making birdies on six of his next nine holes.

Then, with Watson waiting to see if there’d be a playoff, Scott saved par on the 18th hole after hitting a delicate pitch from the edge of the water left of the green to 6 1/2 feet and rolling the putt into the heart of the cup for the victory.

Scott shot a 12-under 276 total on rounds of 68-66-73-69. Watson, who won the Northern Trust Open two weeks earlier at Riviera in Pacific Palisades, shot 69-69-71-68. Danny Willett was another stroke back after shooting 69, which put him in a third-place tie at 10-under 278 with McIlroy, who stumbled to a 74. Phil Mickelson shot 70 to finish fifth at 279.

Scott had led McIlroy by two shots after Friday’s round, but McIlroy appeared in control heading into Sunday’s finale after a bogey-free 68 on Saturday.

A birdie at the first hole got Scott to within two shots of McIlroy, but his approach shot on the third hole flew right and into the water short of the green. When his approach two holes later went over the green into the water, even Scott admitted that his chances of winning appeared to be nonexistent.

“I think after the second double-bogey, winning was kind of far from the front of my mind,” he said. “And at that point, I took a moment to think about kind of just gaining some traction on the round before it slips away and I shoot 80, because it’s possible around this course. To keep missing it like I did in the water, there’s just no escape from it.”

But that’s when Scott realized the course was playing tough for everyone, and he gave himself a pep talk.

“I wasn’t completely shattered on the sixth tee, but I was pretty disappointed because it wasn’t the start I had in mind. But you just never know,” Scott said. “I figured there were chances downwind a little bit the next few holes, and if I could get two birdies by the turn, then not too much damage is done and maybe with a great back nine, I might be in with a chance.”

Scott’s positive thinking paid off. He sank a nine-foot putt for birdie on the sixth and reached the green of the par-5 eighth in two and two-putted for another birdie.

“By the time I had made the turn, Rory had dropped a shot and I thought with a great back nine I was in with a chance, and that’s what I tried to do,” he said.

swaters@tribpub.com