Scot David Law grabbed an equal lowest opening score this season after his caddy took ill and the Aberdonian’s manager jumped in to carry the bag on the opening day of the Hero Open at the Fairmont Resort on the outskirts of St. Andrews.
Law, 31, capped his equal lowest opening day score this year of a seven-under 65 in 17 events this year with five birdies in succession from his 12th hole in bright, warm and unusually calm conditions on the Torrance course.
Scot David Law on route to a 65 on day one of the Hero Open at the Fairmont Resort on the outskirts of St. Andrews
Joining Law on seven-under was Fifer Connor Syme, and with his 65 a best round all season, to be sharing seventh place but just two shots off the lead.
Law’s regular caddy, Max Bill phoned him early the night before saying he’d taken ill, and leaving time for Law to arrange for his manager, Mike MacDougall to call the shots.
Law said: “It was a really good day but then I wasn’t sure what to expect when my caddy, Max called me around 6pm last night saying he was ill.
“So, I got Mike, my manager in to carry the bag and he did a good job.
“He’s caddied in a tour event before, so he knew what he was doing. We just had a great laugh out there”.
Law is teeing-up for a first time since making his majors debut a fortnight earlier closeby at the 150th Open Championship, and coming off playing all four rounds of the Old Course.
He said: “I’m a little bit inspired coming off the Open. I really enjoyed it, the pressure of it all.
“It’s the biggest stage in golf, really. I only live about an hour-and-a-half away, so it’s nice to come back and be in this same St. Andrews area so soon after that week”.
Syme grabbed his lowest round in some 10 months while Scott Jamieson made it three Scots already well in contention, eagling the 15th hole of his round in a six-under 66.
The foursome of last week’s Cazoo Classic champ Richie Ramsay, Kingsbarns Links Daniel Young, deafening Hero Open winner Grant Forrest and Aberdonian Grieg Hutcheon are well-placed in signing for 68s.
Forrest sensationally ended his day’s work with ultra-rare back-to-back eagles, holing a 40-footer for an eagle ‘3’ at the par-5 sixth or the 15th of his round, and at the next, the short par-4 seventh the Craigielaw player buried a 21-footer for an eagle ‘2’.
American Sam Crocker leads the Hero field by a shot in signing for a nine-under 63.
OTHER SCOTS.
69 – Craig Howie, Sam Locke
70 – Sam Locke, Stephen Gallacher, Liam Johnston, Graham Fox, Calum Scott (am)
71 – David Drysdale
72 – Marc Warren
73 – Ewen Ferguson
