DAVID LAW SCORES FIRST PRO WIN IN MOROCCO

"IT'S COME EARLIER THAN I EXPECTED, TO BE HONEST," SAYS ABERDEEN ROOKIE"

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com  Paul Lawrie protege David Law scored his first win as a professional in Morocco today. The 20-year-old Aberdonian, starting the last round of the EPD Tour's Dar Es Salam Open in joint sixth place, came surging through the field with a three-under-par 70 to win by one stroke with a three-under-par total of 216 for the 54-hole tournament. His earlier rounds, two par-matching 73s, have left him three shots behind the leader, American Timothy Neal, but he crashed out of the picture with a last-round 76 for 219. Over the testing Royal Dar Es Salam course, which has a par of 73, Law birdied the first, fourth, sixth, long eighth, long 10th, 13th and short 14th, offset by bogeys at the short third, seventh, 16th and 17th in halves of 34 (two under par) and 36 (one under). Over the three rounds he had 14 birdies and 11 bogeys. First prize was worth 5,000 Euros. Law, who was Scottish boys champion at Balgownie in 2009 and winner of the Scottish men's amateur championship at Royal Troon the same year, scored a second Scottish amateur championship victory at Western Gailes last summer before becoming the first amateur since Sandy Pirie in the 1970s to win the Northern Open at Meldrum House. A Walker Cup reserve last year, Law will have his 21st birthday next month. He said after his breakthrough win today: "I played really good golf from tee to green all week without much success on the greens over the first two rounds. But in the final round some putts did drop at last and I managed to see it out. "It feels great to have a win so soon after turning pro and, to be honest, it wasn't something I was really expecting. Hopefully, I can push forward from here and continue to play well." Runner-up was Marek Novy from the Czech Republic with rounds of 75, 71 and 71 for 217, a shot behind Law. He collected 3,000 Euros. Motherwell's Paul O'Hara earned 327 Euros for finishing joint 32nd on 227 with scores of 76, 74 and 77. Fellow Scots Philip McLean, Jordan Findlay and David James failed to beat the 36-hole cut. LEADING FINAL TOTALS Par 219 (3x73) 216 David Law (Sco) 73 73 70 217 Marek Novy (Cze) 75 71 71 218 Christoph Pau (Aut) 73 75 70, Nuno Henriques (Por) 74 73 71, Jhared Anthony Hack (US) 73 72 73, Jurrian Van Der Vaart (Net) 71 74 73, Jann Schmid (Swi) 72 72 74 Selected scores 219 Timothy O'Neal (US) 76 67 76 227 Paul O'Hara (Sco) 76 74 77