Quiros chases Dubai hat-trick

Dubai: Spain's Alvaro Quiros may have book-ended last season with an opening victory at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and a closing triumph at the Dubai World Championship, but he doesn't consider himself the king of golf here.

With all eyes on the big-hitting 29-year-old ahead of the 23rd $2.5 million (Dh9.18 million) Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club from today, Quiros is quick to downplay his chances of a unique Dubai hat-trick.

Playing well in desert conditions and able to overcome the seasonal shamal winds, Quiros shot an eagle and a hole-in-one on his fourth round at this event last year to snatch a one-shot victory despite a triple-bogey on the same card. But to bring that up now is futile.

Quiros said: "What happened one year ago is nothing related to the present. We are talking about one year ago and golf can change from one hole to another, so can we make a relation between a year ago and now? It's nice because you know you have been successful here and I'm the defending champion and not many can say that, but that's all.

"You can make a bogey on a few holes and fall down the leaderboard and get back up again with a birdie in the next, the margin is so tight.

Missing the cut

"I would have said Martin Kaymer was the ‘King of Abu Dhabi golf' two weeks ago, but after how he played he's not anymore. I missed the cut in Abu Dhabi and finished 59th in Qatar, so I doubt I'm still the king of Dubai or Qatar [where he also won in 2009].

"I'm not just the guy who won two Dubai events in the same year, I also won the Spanish Open (2010), the Portugal Masters (2008) and the Alfred Dunhill (2006). I do have something more.

"Little by little I am improving and each week I'm starting to have my way. If I have my week, I'm able to win on different courses, but I'm not the complete player yet.

"The target is to get more than technical, mental improvement. Quiros is the same person, he just has different ways of behaving. I cannot change myself. Good or bad I'm me. Sometimes that's good, others its bad. I want to fix the negative ways, not the positive. I'm a long way from improving."