THRILLING FINISH TO VIC OPEN
Career-best shot lifts Law to thrilling one-shot Vic Open win
SCOTLAND’S David Law hit the greatest shot of his golfing career to claim a dramatic oneshot Vic Open triumph yesterday over Australian duo Wade Ormsby and Brad Kennedy.
Playing in the second last men’s group at Thirteenth Beach, Law knew he needed to eagle the par-5 final hole to get into contention. He stepped up superbly, smashing an approach shot with his hybrid to within eight feet and calmly draining the eagle putt.
“We just knew on 18 that we were in the hunt,” said the 27year-old Law, playing on the main European Tour for the first time in 2019 after five seasons slogging away on the secondary Challenge Tour.
Overnight leader Ormsby still looked the likely winner until he made a mess of the par-3 17th hole, missing the green to the left and taking two chips before walking away with a double-bogey.
French golfer Celine Boutier hung tough to claim a twostroke victory in the women’s event, finishing eight-under.
There was $3 million up for grabs over the two events, with even prizemoney for men’s and women’s players.
WHERE did David Law come from?
The 27-year-old Scot wasn’t in the winning frame until the 18th green. Now he is a Vic Open champion.
Law claimed the title at Thirteenth Beach yesterday with a stunning eagle on the 72nd hole of the tournament.
It came courtesy of the shot of his career, drilling a hybrid from 195m to about 3m. He sank the subsequent putt and etched his name into championship history in the process.
But the result is as big for his career.
This is Law’s first season on the European Tour after toiling on the secondary Challenge Tour for five years. The win gives him a European Tour card until 2020.
“It was amazing. I kind of thought I pulled it a little bit and it just sort of snuck in the left edge,” he said of the winning putt.
“It was a relief to see it drop. That’s me got my card for this year and next year. I can pick my schedule quite wisely.
“It makes a big difference to my year. I’m just delighted.”
After calling a penalty on himself on the ninth hole, Law entered the back nine yesterday hoping to secure a topthree finish.
Birdies on 10 and 11 moved him up the leaderboard, while another on 16 had him in contention.
As luck would have it, Wade Ormsby, who was two groups back and in control, would selfdestruct and double bogey the par-three 17th.
Law, who was doing a TV interview when he heard the news about Ormsby, had gone from a likely top-three finisher with an outside hope of scoring a playoff to outright leader.
“We just knew on 18 that we were in the hunt. Until then it was just trying to get into position, top three, top two finish,” he said.
“Standing on the 18th fairway we knew (we had to) make an eagle and put pressure on.
“If we needed five to win I would have hit four iron, but needing three, four was never getting back there (to the pin).
“I thought four would get the front edge.
“Hybrid got it the whole way back, I had to take a little off, but it was the shot, it was the right shot to play at the time.”
So how does Law plan to celebrate the unlikeliest of championship wins?
Like every good Scotsman should.
“I’ll probably have 12, 15 pints. I’m not flying to Perth until 1.30pm, so I will certainly have a few,” he said.