Aberdeen’s David Law was overjoyed after clinching his first Challenge Tour victory on home soil by winning the SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge at Spey Valley yesterday.
Law’s final round of four-under-par round of 67 saw him finish two shots ahead of Denmark’s Joachim B. Hansen and 11-under-par for the tournament to secure the £35,000 main prize.
The 27-year-old capped his 100th Challenge Tour event in style with his maiden victory, putting him 10th on the Road to Ras Al Khaimah rankings.
An emotional Law said winning his home event made it all the more special as he became the first Scottish winner of the Aviemore tournament since George Murray in 2010.
He said: “I’m lost for words. About six weeks ago, I was playing pretty rubbish to be honest. My head was all over the place. I didn’t think I’d be here.
“In five years out here I’ve never won – I’ve never been close to winning.
“I had a couple of chances down the years but to do it here with everyone here is just amazing.
“There’s more pressure this week as it’s my home event but there’s also more support and that’s huge. Everyone was roaring me on and I felt that carrying me through.”
Law led from the 11th hole onwards yesterday but had to keep his composure as Hansen crept up on him, adding: “I said to myself when I holed that birdie on the 16th that I’m going to lay it up on 17 and play for par.
“Up the last, I was never hitting the fairway there. I was always going to hit it miles right. I had a nice yardage and I knew wedge wouldn’t quite get the whole way but it wouldn’t go over the back, either. It didn’t fly and it was right where I expected it to be.
“They had just changed the board and I knew Hansen had gone to nine under, so I knew I needed to hole that par putt. Up until then I would’ve been happy to three-putt it. It was a four or five footer. It was a good putt. I played it smart coming in.”
Law is a product of the Paul Lawrie Foundation with the 1999 Open Championship winner among the spectators following him on his final round.
Lawrie took great satisfaction from watching Law’s triumph and he said: “It means as much as when you do it yourself when you see the boys coming through.
“That’s our first Challenge Tour winner.
“It doesn’t get any better, in fact it’s quite emotional.
“He’s been at this level for a while. He’s probably said he’s had a few chances and not taken them and then to go out and play like that today – I thought he was magnificent all day.
“He’s always been at the level he could win out here. I feel he’s tour level but he now has to kick on and prove that, get a really good card and kick on.
“He’s a great lad and it’s easy to help people who are like that.
“He’s a proper lad who wants it desperately, so all we can do is help him.”