David Law misses being at home in Scotland but will ‘do his duty’ in Australia

David Law, with the ISPS Handa Vic Open trophy he won last year, hopes this week in Australia will be fun after the Desert Swing. Picture: Getty

Instead, he has travelled to the other side of the world to defend his ISPS Handa Vic Open title, feeling it is a duty in golf even when a one-week trip Down Under has taken him in the opposite direction to where he really wanted to be heading from the Middle East.

“I think going back as a defending champion is the right thing to do,” Law told The Scotsman. “Scheduling wise, it hasn’t worked out that great when you are going down there for one week. But I think whenever you can, you should defend a title.

“It could also be the sort of thing that kick starts your year, going back to a place where you played well before and that’s what I’m hoping to do again.”

Twelve months ago, the two-time Scottish Amateur champion had started his calendar year with back-to-back missed cuts in Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia before landing the first of two Scottish successes on the 2020 European Tour schedule.

He shot rounds of 67-66-71-66 for an 18-under-par total at 13th Beach Club, securing his maiden victory on the circuit in style by finishing with an eagle, having earlier called a penalty on himself in the  closing round.

“It is great to know that you can pull off a shot like that when you need to,” said the 28-year-old of a majestic approach from around 215 yards at the last. “I thought I had a chance of winning as soon as I hit my tee shot on 18. Until then, I was playing for second, really. I thought, ‘if I can get it to 18-under here, we’ve got a real chance’ and we did.”

Law is back to defend the title after making the cut in all three of the Desert  Swing events.

“It will bring back memories going back,” he added. “I feel as though my golf is in a decent place. I just need to get it working together at the right time and hopefully this week can be that time.

“Sometimes you just need to go back to a place you like. These weeks in the desert were weeks I didn’t do well in last year and next week is going to be a fun week after what happened out there 12 months ago. It was nice to go there last year after playing in the desert courses in the Middle East.

“I’m not saying desert golf is rubbish. Not at all. It’s just that you feel more at home in Australia and the country as a whole is as close to back home, even though it’s the furthest away from home I’ve ever been.”

Law is being joined in flying the Saltire on this occasion by Connor Syme and Australia-based Robbie Morrison, while Gemma Dryburgh and Kylie Henry are both in the field for the women’s event running concurrently in the innovative tournament for the second year running.