Adam Scott is hoping a third Australian Masters title before taking on Rory McIlroy at the Australian Open will be the launch pad for a return to world No.1 and more majors success.

World No.2 Scott missed a chance for a perfect summer when he bogeyed the final hole of last year’s Open at Royal Sydney, with McIlroy holing a giant birdie putt to win.

The one-shot loss blew Scott’s ambitions of taking out the triple crown of Australian golf, having won the Australian PGA and Masters in preceding weeks.

Northern Irishman McIlroy went on to have a stellar 2014, including winning the last two majors and taking the No.1 ranking from Scott in August.

Ahead of the Masters at Metropolitan in Melbourne, starting on Thursday, Queenslander Scott admitted he could have achieved more in 2014 after such a stunning Australian campaign.

“It’s amazing how much confidence you can take from a win anywhere on any circuit in the world and what that can do for you and spur you on to,” Scott said.

“I look at these events this year as exactly the same.

“I’ve played a lot of good golf this year, and I think I could have got more out of it.

“I’m putting everything into these three weeks.

“The better I can do, the more confidence it builds heading into next year and I’ve seen in the past what good effects that’s had.”

Scott, the 2013 US Masters champion, admitted the loss to McIlroy remained a “thorn in my side”.

But he’s focused on making history with a third straight victory at the Australian Masters before thinking about the rematch.

Scott is gunning to become the first golfer to claim three successive gold jackets, even topping his childhood idol Greg Norman, who won six but never more than two in a row.

“It’s pretty easy for me to concentrate this week,” Scott said.

“I’ve got a lot on the line and I can make my own little bit of history in the Australian Masters and hopefully win three in a row and that’s where my head’s at.

“If I do that, it will only put me in better shape for next week so I’m only thinking about this tournament and will have to deal with Rory and the Jordan Speiths and all the other guys next week.”

Scott flew to Melbourne last week for an extra round at Metropolitan on Melbourne’s famed sand-belt.

He said he’d played the course less than 10 times.

“I certainly feel like I’ve prepared well and I’d love to keep this good run going.

“I need to get my head around Metropolitan pretty quickly.”

He will go into the tournament with US-based Englishman David Clark, who first caddied for him two weeks ago in Shanghai, on his bag.

Scott said he would audition a couple of caddies over the summer to find a permanent replacement for veteran Steve Williams, who only wanted to work part-time.

As he did late last year, Scott is playing all of Australia’s big three tournaments – the Masters, Open and PGA Championship.