DAVID LAW WINS MATCH-PLAY TITLE IN SOUTH AFRICA

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Aberdeen's David Law won the Northern Amateur Open golf championship at Randpark, South Africa today.

The 19-year-old Hazlehead Golf Club member beat South African Graham Van Der Merwe by 3 and 2 in the 36-hole final. Law fought his way back from three down at the end of the first round.

Law, pictured right, was the leading stroke-play qualifier for the match-play stages.

Earlier in the Scottish Golf Union Elite Squad's eight-week stay in South Africa, Law was beaten in a play-off for the South African open amateur stroke-play title after leading for most of the 72-hole event.

In 2009 he won the Scottish boys' match-play championship at Royal Aberdeen in the April and the Scottish men's amateur match-play championship at Royal Troon in the July.
Law's target for the 2011 season is to win a place in the Great Britain and Ireland team for the Walker Cup match against the United States at Balgownie in September. His ultimate ambition is to become a tour professional and he will probably have a go at the European Tour School qualifying process next yeart.
In South Africa he has come back to something like his peak form of 2009 after a broken knuckle, received in an unprovoked, late-night  assault by a stranger in Aberdeen city centre in November 2009, handicapped his preparations for the 2010 campaign.

The SGU squad fly home this weekend after a highly successful trip, the highlight of which was Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) adding the South African open amateur championship to the Scottish amateur championship he won at Gullane last July.
FROM THE SGU WEBSITE:
David Law is the first player ever to win all three trophies competed for at the Northern Amateur Open in South Africa. Law won the MABS Abel Trophy, awarded to the best aggregate score after 36 holes of stroke-play, the Northern Stroke-play Trophy, as the leading player after the stroke-play event, cut short from 72 to 54 holes due to adverse weather and to complete the historical treble, the Northern Amateur Championship Trophy following his match-play victory today

CONGRATULATIONS FROM PAUL LAWRIE

+Both David Law and semi-finalist Philip McLean are, of course, members of the Paul Lawrie Foundation Team. Paul gives them a mention on his website today:

"Huge congratulations to Philip McLean and David Law at this week's Northern Amateur Open in South Africa. Philip reached the semi finals and David won the event. Well done, lads! Good work!