Good things come to those who wait. And David Law has been waiting a long time. In his 100th event on the European Challenge Tour, the Aberdonian marked the occasion by winning his maiden title on the second-tier circuit in the SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge at a shimmering Macdonald Spey Valley.
Law had struck the opening shot of the event on Thursday. His final one, a putt of some four-feet on the 18th green, put the tin lid on a highly emotional victory.
His closing four-under 67 for an 11-under aggregate of 273 left him two shots clear of Joachim Hansen as became the second Scottish winner on the Challenge Tour this season and the first home player to win this particular event since George Murray back in 2010.
Nobody could begrudge the canny, talented and highly likeable Law this moment of triumph. The personal trauma he endured last summer when his partner lost their baby boy will always put golfing affairs into perspective. The tears which came at the end were understandable amid the rejoicing of family, friends and his proud mentor, Paul Lawrie
“About six weeks ago, I was playing pretty rubbish, my head was all over the place … I didn’t think I’d be here,” he said as his voice began to break.
Down the years, this event has suffered the kind of adverse weather that could’ve led to it being sponsored by the Met Office but those golfing gods looked down kindly on it this week and the sunny scene in the highlands yesterday was quite enchanting.
Law made hay while that big fiery orb in the sky shone and his cheque for £35, 140 propelled him up into the top 15 of the Challenge Tour rankings and inside the promotion places for the European Tour.
Law, who went into the closing day just a shot off the lead, produced a solid, sensible and poised display over the closing 18 holes to bring home the bounty. He moved into a share of the lead through seven holes and inched into the lead on his own with a birdie on the 11th.
From there on in, Law put together a fine show of frontrunning golf. Amid the composure, there was a clinical edge. A birdie putt of 15-feet on the 16th was a decisive opportunity seized as he moved three clear and put himself to the brink of success.
It looked like his ball may just come up short but it almost seemed to haul itself into the hole with some mountaineering rope. The robust fist pump from Law which followed it in confirmed the importance of the moment.
The former Scottish Amateur champion played it safe on the par-five 17th before calmly two-putting for par on the last. He needed to. Behind him in the last group, Hansen had birdied the 17th to put the pressure on.
“On the last they had just changed the leaderboard and I knew Hansen had gone to nine-under,” he said. “I knew I needed to hole that. Up until then I would’ve been happy to three putt that last.
“This is the best. In five years out here I’ve never won. I’ve never been close to winning to be honest. To do it here with everybody here is just amazing.
“There’s more pressure this week as it’s your home event but there’s also more support and that’s huge. Paul sent me a text on Saturday night saying ‘do you mind if I come up and watch?’ and I said ‘absolutely, it would be great’. Everyone was rooting me on and I felt that carrying me through.”
Lawrie, watching on from the sidelines, was as proud as punch for a player the former Open champion has nurtured through his own Foundation.
“It means as much as when you do it yourself when you see the boys coming through,” he said. “It’s quite emotional. He’s a great lad and it’s easy to help people who are like that. He’s wants it desperately so all we can do is help him.”
Law also took away the Dougie Lowe Memorial Trophy, the prize presented in memory of The Herald’s late and much missed golf writer.
Dougie would’ve been quietly chuffed with its winner.
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