WIN SOME BOOZE SOME
Fergie told me I had to party more when I won just like he did at Man U .. that’s why I’ll toast his return to health with a glass of my new whisky
PAUL LAWRIE took up drinking on the advice of Sir Alex Ferguson after his sporting hero scolded him for not properly toasting his Open success in 1999.
So it was a fitting time for the Aberdonian to raise a glass of his own signature whisky brand this week to toast Sir Alex’s recovery from life-saving brain surgery.
Like most sports fans, Lawrie was shocked by the news of the legendary manager, who led his beloved Dons to Cup Winners’ Cup glory, suffering a brain haemorrhage earlier this month.
But unlike most, he has come to regard his hero as a friend.
So as he spoke at Loch Lomond Whiskies to promote the launch of his special Autograph Edition, there was extra reason to celebrate as news of Ferguson cracking jokes from his hospital bed showed encouraging signs for his recovery.
Lawrie said: “They say you shouldn’t meet your heroes but mine – Sir Alex and Sandy Lyle – are different class.
“I first met him at the BBC Sports Personality Awards after winning The Open. I went along with Monty and Nick Faldo.
“Sir Alex came down the stairs with the Manchester United team and Monty said to me, ‘You’ll know him really well.’ But I’d never met him, although he had sent me a letter congratulating me on winning The Open.
“So Monty offered to introduce me. Colin went first and I was at the back but when he saw me, Sir Alex said, ‘Ah Paul it’s great to meet you at last’ and we chatted.
“I remember him saying that we must have had a hell of a party after I won The Open. When I said we hadn’t he replied, ‘That was a massive mistake – you should always celebrate success.’
“He said that some of the parties Man United had were memorable because they always celebrated success and I thought, ‘Man, he’s right, I need to start drinking more.’
“He gave me his number and we’ve kept in touch since then. He has also invited me down to Old Trafford a few times so it was a shock to hear about his illness.
“When I saw him giving the presentation to Arsene Wenger just a few days before, I thought it was the best I’d seen him for years. Let’s hope he pulls through.”
Like any good whisky, Lawrie’s appreciation for Scotland’s most famous export has grown with age ever since that chat with Fergie.
So when there were other successes to celebrate, he made sure to heed his hero’s advice. He said: “I was a whole different character back when I won The Open. I practised morning, noon and night to ensure I would be the best I could be.
“I was hell bent on making sure I made the most of the chance I had given myself and didn’t get to the end of my days and regret not doing it properly.
“I would say the Dunhill Links in 2001 was the turning point when I started celebrating success.
“There had been an 18-month spell when I had played nicely but didn’t win and there had been a lot of chat that my Open win had been a fluke.
“Then I won Wales soon after and it was around that time we started gathering everybody and going to the Marcliffe for a bit of a party.”
Then, of course, there was the European Ryder Cup team’s winners’ party after the Miracle of Medinah in 2012.
He said: “I don’t think anyone went to bed. When I say that I drink a lot more now than I used to, I’m still not a guy who goes out and gets hammered. But no one slept that night!
“We were all drunk at the press