Lawson opts out of Open
LOCAL favourite Deyen Lawson will be a no-show at this year’s Vic Open, with the likeable golfer set to head overseas on Sunday for a series of European Challenge Tour events.
Lawson is playing with conditional status on the European Tour and would have had a spot in the Vic Open field but has opted to play in three tournaments in South Africa starting on January 30.
The second of those events, the Cape Town Open, coincides with the Vic Open on February 6-9, putting Lawson in the unenviable position of having to choose which tournament was going to provide him with the best chance of gaining full status come year’s end.
“They are three reasonablysized tournaments and the Vic Open is the middle week, so it would have been quite hard to play one, go to the Vic Open and then come back,” Lawson said.
“Ideally, my goal this year is to try to get my card back on the main tour and if you finish top 20 on the Challenge Tour you get that. I will be playing six months through the middle of the year on the Challenge Tour, so if I can get off to a good start it will make things a lot easier.
“I don’t really want to miss the Vic Open but from a business perspective it is just what I have to do. At the end of the year if I miss out by $500 on getting my card back it wouldn’t be great.
“So it is one of those things and it wouldn’t matter what event it was, it is just annoying that it is a big event and it is where I grew up that is frustrating.”
Lawson’s absence means Torquay pro Ben Eccles will carry the hopes of Geelong at Thirteenth Beach, which will see reigning champion David Law and past winners Simon Hawkes, Dimi Papadatos, Richard Green, Matthew Griffin, Jason Norris, Ash Hall and Gareth Paddison all return.
Lawson said there was still a possibility he would play a handful of European Tour events if he can start well on the Challenge Tour.
“I will play those three in
South Africa and then make it back for the Queensland Open and then play the New Zealand Open as well,” he said.
“There are a few weeks’ break and then I will play in about 20 events in Europe, so I will be there for a while.
“If it fits the schedule and doesn’t clash with the Challenge, I will play a few European Tour events.
“If I get off to a hot start and cement myself in the top 20, I might play a bit more on the main tour, but I would have to win for it to be worth it.
“That’s not out of the question but even with the Vic Open I would have to win for it to be worthwhile playing.”