Dougherty birdied the last to avoid a four-way tie for second, his Walker Cup team-mate Luke Donald, Scotland’s Andrew Coltart and Swede Robert Karlsson sharing third on eight under.

Scott collected the first prize and also made virtually sure of his place in the Presidents’ Cup team – the Ryder Cup-style contest between America and the Rest of the World minus Europe, which takes place in South Africa in November.

He had missed the cut in his previous three events since finishing eighth in the defence of his Scottish PGA Championship, but finally found a solution to the putting problems which had dogged him for two months.

The 23-year-old began the day tied with Maarten Lafeber on eight under but the pair had already been caught by the earlier starters before they teed off.

Scott went back in front with a birdie from 12 feet on the second, but the first of several pulled shots on the fourth cost him a bogey four.

Dougherty then took over the lead with his third birdie of the day on the sixth, before Scott got back on level terms by two-putting the par-five fifth to get back to nine under.

From then on the Australian was never headed, crucially making birdies on the 11th and 12th to stretch his lead to three for the first time.

He failed to make the most of a stroke of good luck on the 14th after his drive bounced off a tree and back into the fairway, hitting his second shot left as well and failing to get up and down.

But he responded in style with a superb tee shot to five feet on the 15th for another birdie and effectively sealed victory with another on the next.