Law to ‘reflect’ after his first European prize
SCOTLAND’s David Law clinched a life-changing win in the innovative ISPS Handa Vic Open, as Ireland’s Gavin Moynihan etched his name in European Tour history.
Michael Hoey closed with a 69 to tie for 17th with Paul Dunne, who posted a one-over 73 at 13th Beach Golf Club near Melbourne to leave them eight shots behind Law on 10-under.
Moynihan, who closed with 72 to tie for 27th on seven-un- der, made history by playing in the first mixed group at a European Tour event. The second round cut left exactly 52 groups, but only if both tours agreed to combine men and women in the final grouping.
“Mixed events are great,” said former University of Alabama star Moynihan, who teed up with Belgium’s LPGA Tour star Manon De Roey and Australian Dale Williamson in round three.
“Most of the women’s tees were a good bit forward, but it was great. And it was nice to meet a good few of the girls who were at Alabama when I was there, like Stephanie Meadow.”
Law (38), who was considering taking a winter job before he won the Scottish Challenge last year, was three shots off the lead with three holes to play.
However, he followed a birdie at the 16th with a spectacular eagle three at the 18th for a six-under 66 to set an 18-under target that was good enough to seal a first European Tour title.
He won by one stroke from Australians Brad Kennedy and Wade Ormsby as Leona Maguire’s former Duke University team-mate Celine Boutier clinched the LPGA Tour event by two shots on eight-under.
“It’s massive,” said Law, who like Boutier enjoyed a €156,250 payday. “I’ve been loving the four events I’ve played so far and to just be a European Tour player was what I was happy with. To have won today, it sort of changes things a little bit. I’ll go home, reflect a little bit on things and reassess.”
Boutier (25) carded a 72 to claim her maiden LPGA Tour win by two strokes from England’s Charlotte Thomas and local favourites Sarah Kemp and Su Oh.
While Stephanie Meadow missed the halfway cut, Leona Maguire missed a secondary, 54-hole cut by just one stroke after she shot 74 in Saturday’s high winds.
There was also a 54-hole cut in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where Shane Lowry missed out by just two shots despite rallying from Friday’s 77 at Pebble Beach with a four-under 67 at Monterey Peninsula.
However, Graeme McDowell (39) went into last night’s final round tied for 18th, just seven strokes behind Paul Casey, after an injury-hit start to the year.
The Portrush man, who lost his PGA Tour card last year, revealed he had to turn down chances to tee it up in the Desert Classic or the Farmers Insurance Open after suffering a wrist injury on December 28.