David Law: Playing in big events in 2022 was fun but that's not my ceiling

David Law is determined to keep “raising the bar” after making the cut in his first major in 2022 and also securing a debut in the DP World Tour Championship.

Encouraged by those feats, the 31-year-old is starting his fourth season on the main tour feeling buoyant heading into this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links.

“I feel as if that’s where I should be and I believe that now,” said Law of making it to the circuit’s season-ending finale in December, when he finished in a tie for 20. “That’s a big thing, and I’m excited for what lies ahead this season.”

Law landed a maiden win in his rookie campaign in 2019, but he’s setting out this season feeling more comfortable than ever on the main tour. “I’d say so, absolutely,” he admitted. “I played in a couple of big tournaments last year (one being the 150th Open at St Andrews), which was a lot of fun, first and foremost. I didn’t feel out of place and, from that, I take that I’m good enough to be there and be playing there.

David Law was delighted to end his 2022 campaign with a debut appearance in the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates in November. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images.

“So the biggest thing is that that’s not my ceiling. I’m trying to keep raising the bar and that might not necessarily translate into results. It’s not about that. It’s about getting my game to a place where I can consistently be playing at that level and consistently be giving myself chances in tournaments.”

After spending some quality time at home in Aberdeen around the festive period with his wife, Natasha, and their two young kids, Law headed to Al Ain, which is about an hour from Abu Dhabi, to get ready for the off. “Tom Buchanan looked after us really well,” he said of the Scot who is the operations manager at Al Ain, “and I feel ready to go.

“I’m not a huge goal-setter, but you can re-evaluate and set your little goals. Boring as it sounds, it’s always a process and we are trying to get better in every aspect and that time off gives you the opportunity to reflect on things and look at what you can improve and changes you can make.”

This week’s event is the first leg of a Rolex Series double-header, with $9 million on offer here and also in next week’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

“It’s not ideal to have two huge events at the start of the year back-to-back, but it’s fantastic to play in them and they are good tournaments, good tests on good golf courses,” said Law, who is joined by eight compatriots in the first one.

“Part of you is always thinking ‘how is this going to go?’ and you hope it’s going to go the best it can and, if it doesn’t, then you can put that down to a bit of rustiness or whatever.”

Commenting on Yas Links, where Belgian Thomas Pieters claimed victory 12 months ago, the two-time Scottish Amateur champion said: “Condition-wise, it’s amazing - fairways, greens, fringes, tees, it’s immaculate - and it’s a joy for us to play on. It’s a very different test to what next week’s going to be and it’s a good start to the year.”