David Law fell a little short on the final day at the Hero Open, but the Scot couldn’t bring himself to be unhappy with his week’s effort at Fairmont St Andrews.
The Aberdonian finished three behind the USA’s Sean Crocker, who holed a nervy six-footer on the final green for his first tour win, just edging a resurgent Eddie Pepperell.
Crocker wins wire-to-wire
"Winning a golf tournament is NOT easy" 🏆
Hear from Sean Crocker after winning in St Andrews.#HeroOpen pic.twitter.com/UhuBg1Czpj
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 31, 2022
Crocker started his 2022 season with nine missed cuts in a row, but he sorted it out and won from the front on the Torrance Course. He was never headed after his first round 63, and seemed to answer every assault with a birdie on the final day.
For Law, a final round 68 brought a 19-under total he’d have probably grabbed at the start of the week, but it was three shots light of Crocker’s pace.
But it’s his second top five finish in his last three tour events. The 31-year-old’s won a total of £337,500 in July at the Irish Open, Scottish Open, The Open and now here.
“I shot four-under, bogey-free on a Sunday, and I’m finishing top three,” he said. “There’s nothing I can complain about, it’s another really positive week.
“I never got much going today, it was one of those days. I probably didn’t putt as well as I did the first three days.
“But I stayed patient when it wasn’t quite going my way, picked up a couple of shots in the last six holes.
“I just need to keep putting myself in position. Get myself into contention consistently, and hopefully we’ll knock one off.”
‘The way I’m going now, I can achieve those’
Good fun but given a hiding by my good friend @connor_syme a worthy winner 👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/UVtFaJIatA
— David Law (@DavidLawGolf) July 26, 2022
David certainly doesn’t have the card concerns he had this time last year, and can press on to his goals with a tasty schedule coming up.
“I’m going to play the next two weeks (Celtic Manor and Galgorm in Northern Ireland) then I’ve got two weeks off.
“After that there’s a stretch of five really big events, good money events, all strong tournaments (Denmark, BMW PGA, Italy, France and the Dunhill). They’ll play a big part in dictating where the season’s going to finish.
“Already it’s gone well, I’m happy where I am in the Race to Dubai. There’s definitely some momentum there.
“One of the big goals is to win again this year, the other is to get into the DP World Championship at the end of the year.
I feel like the way I’m playing and going right now, I can achieve those.”
Key birdie at the 10th
Pepperell, who has seen his world ranking plummet from 32nd in 2018 to 550th now, gave leader Crocker a real scare with a superb 65. But every time the Englishman made ground it seemed the young American answered.
Crocker’s birdie three at the tenth – one of just three birdies there all day – gave him some important breathing room at a crucial time. He followed with birdies at 12 and 13 for a three shot lead.
But the nerves showed with a three-putt for par at the 15th, and he needed to hole a testing eight foot putt at the short 17th to stay ahead.
Up the last, a poor drive and a lay-up saw him needing to make a five foot putt to avoid extra time, but he made it.
“Winning is really hard,” he said. “And Eddie did everything to make it even more difficult for me.
“From the first to the 17th I was just playing golf as if I was with my friends.
“But I felt the nerves and pressure from 17 all the way up to the final putt on 18. I think that was because I knew it was my tournament to win or lose.”
‘To win at St Andrews is really cool’
Some pars are better than others 💪
Sean Crocker with a massive par save on the 17th, and takes a one shot lead to the final hole. #HeroOpen pic.twitter.com/qAGSGgBcNM
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 31, 2022
It was Crocker’s first win a professional – “it’s probably been six or seven years since I last had a trophy, which is to my mind a very long time.”
“To win at St Andrews is really cool. Winning wire-to-wire, I was thinking about that this morning and that feels cool as well.
“I know I can win now and that’s a great feeling. Going through when I missed nine cuts, I know how mean this game is.
“We can play terrible for a long time. Then all of a sudden you have a week like this where every bounce seemed to go my way, putts dropped, I hit the ball beautifully.
“It makes me appreciate this game I play and what I get to do for a living.”
Perth’s Daniel Young had his best-ever finish to a DP World event at tied 12th, with a 69 for -15. His cheque for £24,471 is also a career best.