How David beat odds to become Scotland’s latest fairway champ
AS if the back story of adversity and heartache wasn’t enough reason to be delighted for David Law, the manner of his maiden European Tour win on Sunday typified his class.
Calling a penalty on himself halfway through his final round to drop five shots off the lead, then ending a blistering back nine with an eagle on the 18th to top the board at the ISPA Handa Vic Open.
What a stylish way to win his first main Tour title and with it the hearts of fans and fellow professionals who know the arduous journey he’s taken to reach this landmark moment.
The trauma of 2017, when Law and his partner Natasha’s first child Freddie was stillborn, understandably left a deep impact at a time when he’d already been experiencing doubts about his career path.
Seven years of scrapping on the lower tours of European golf will do that to a man’s confidence, so he freely admits now that he was considering other ways to make a living.
So much so he’d even lined up some work to tide him over this winter until two huge moments in the second half of 2018 turned around his life and career.
The birth of a healthy daughter, Penelope, brought immense happiness to his personal life – and his first victory on the second-tier Challenge Tour proved a kickstart for his game.
That home victory at the SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge in Aviemore became the stepping stone to earn his ticket to the main tour, adding a runner-up finish in Austria to propel him inside the all-important top 15 of the Challenge Tour rankings. Speaking to Record Sport from Perth, Australia, where he’ll compete in this week’s World Super