Scotland’s David Law wins ISPS Handa Vic Open

David Law of Scotland eagled the final hole at 13th Beach GC in Geelong to win the ISPS Handa Vic Open by a single shot from Wade Ormsby and Brad Kennedy.

Scotland’s David Law wins ISPS Handa Vic Open

In just his 18th start on the European Tour, Challenge Tour graduate David Law from Aberdeen secured his maiden victory on the main circuit with a brilliant finish in the ISPS Handa Vic Open.

Law, a protege of Paul Lawrie, was three shots off the pace with three holes to play but he finished with a flourish, making a birdie and then firing two superb shots into the 72nd hole to set up an eagle three and to claim a share of the lead with Australia’s Wade Ormsby.

When the home player double-bogeyed the 17th hole, he was left needing an eagle on the last to match Law’s 72-hole total of 18-under-par. He was unable to do it and the title went to the Scotsman.

The victory caps a tremendous turnaround for Law. Twice a Scottish Amateur champion, he was on the brink of taking on other work over the winter before winning last season's SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge hosted by Macdonald Hotels & Resorts and finishing 14th on the Challenge Tour.

The 27-year-old had also called a penalty on himself to surrender a bogey on the ninth and leave him five shots back at the turn before he came home in 31.

"It's massive," he said. "It's not something I expected. For me just being out here playing on the European Tour was enough. I've been loving the four events I've played so far and to just be a European Tour player was what I was happy with. To have won today, it sort of changes things a little bit. I'll go home, reflect a little bit on things and reassess."

He added: "We said we were going to try to finish three-two-four in the hope that we could get a top-three finish. Then birdie 16, par 17, and going down the last we said we need eagle. We make eagle, we post at 18 under, you never know what can happen."

Brad Kennedy finished at 17-under alongside countryman Ormsby in tied second, one shot clear of South Africa's Justin Harding.

Australian Jason Scrivener made it four top-10s from five starts in the 2019 season as he finished at 15-under alongside countryman David Bransdon and Scot David Drysdale in a tie for fifth. Belguim’s Nicolas Colsaerts and Frenchman Clément Sordet were a further shot back in a tie for eighth.

In the women's event, which was also played over the Beach course for equal prize money, Celine Boutier carded a 72 to claim a two-shot victory.

The Frenchwoman finished eight-under to hold off local favourites Sarah Kemp and Su Oh, and England's Charlotte Thomas.

ISPS Handa Vic Open 13th Beach GC, Geelong, Victoria, Australia 7-10 February Purse: €940,000 Par: 72

1 David Law (Sco) 67 66 71 66 270 €156,250 T2 Brad Kennedy (Aus) 67 65 72 67 271 €81,425 T2 Wade Ormsby (Aus) 65 66 70 70 271 €81,425 4 Justin Harding (RSA) 67 71 66 68 272 €46,875 T5 David Brandson (Aus) 69 69 67 68 273 €33,563 T5 David Drysdale (Sco) 66 69 71 67 273 €33,563 T5 Jason Scrivener (Aus) 64 66 76 67 273 €33,563 T8 Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 66 71 68 69 274 €22,219 T8 Clement Sordet (Fra) 69 64 74 67 274 €22,219 T10 Nick Flanagan (Aus) 62 68 76 69 275 €18,000 T10 Callum Shinkwin (Eng) 64 73 66 72 275 €18,000

Note: Player score in bold signifies Titleist ball usage