EUAN McLEAN
6 event, Law said: “The last five months or so have just been highs so we’re very lucky.
“Tasha and I have been having a great time at home with Penelope and everything that’s been going on like getting my card and now a life-changing win.
“It totally changes everything in terms of expectation and goals. Being out there as a rookie first and foremost you’re just trying to keep your card so this relieves a lot of pressure.
“Now I’m a winner on the European Tour, no matter what happens for the rest of my life I’ve got that. Not many golfers can say that.”
Such a lofty status was far from his mind at the halfway stage of Sunday’s final round at 13th Beach Golf Club in Victoria when he had to keep his composure after calling that infringement on himself.
Law said: “I was two yards off the fairway with the perfect lie, sitting up nicely so I’m thinking, ‘Here we go.’ Gap wedge in my hands having just birdied the last two holes, let’s get another one.
“But I’ve put my club behind the ball and as soon as it touched the grass the ball rolled back about an inch and I thought, ‘Oh no.’ Obviously I had to replace it, take the one-shot penalty and made a bogey.
“There was about a 40-yard walk to the next tee so on the way myself and caddie Max said, ‘That’s unfortunate, nothing you can do but reset and go again.’
“I’m pleased at how well I bounced back with birdies at the next two holes and shot up the leaderboard.
“Then on 18 I’ve never had a more important shot than that approach. I was between a hybrid and a four iron. Normally you’d play conservatively but I needed to make three to have a chance of winning the tournament so I took some off the hybrid it and it came out perfect. I couldn’t have asked for an easier putt for my three but it was such a relief to see it drop.
“It still hasn’t sunk in. It’s probably taken longer to come than other people expected when I turned pro. But I knew I’d need to improve my game quite a lot.
“In the amateurs when I was in the hunt I was quite good at getting it done but that maybe gave people a false realisation of where my game was.
“They maybe thought I was better than I was but I knew I still had a long way to go. I still do. Although I’ve won a tournament, by no means do I think I’ve played the best golf I can play. There was still plenty things I could have done better. That’s a pretty good position to be in, feeling excited there’s more to come.”
The next steps will be discussed as always with his mentor Paul Lawrie, whose golf foundation supported Law since he was a kid.
“So just how does a Scotsman celebrate winning a Tour event?” asked one Aussie journalist during Law’s press conference on Sunday.
“About 12-15 pints,” replied the Aberdonian with a smile.