Law and Boutier win Vic Open titles as Moynihan makes history
David Law and Celine Boutier triumphed at the ISPS Handa Vic Open. Picture: Getty Images
Scotland's David Law clinched a life-changing win in the innovative ISPS Handa Vic Open as Ireland's Gavin Moynihan etched his name in European Tour history.
Michael Hoey closed with a 69 to tie for 17th with Paul Dunne, who posted a one-over 73 at 13th Beach Golf Club near Melbourne to leave them eight shots behind Law on 10-under par.
But while Moynihan closed with 72 and tied for 27th on seven-under, he made history on Saturday by playing in the first ever mixed group at a European Tour event.
The second round cut left exactly 52 groups, but only if both tours agreed to combine men and women in the final grouping.
"Mixed events are great," said former University of Alabama star, who teed up with Belgium's LPGA Tour star Manon De Roey and Australian Dale Williamson in the third round.
“Most of the women’s tees were a good bit forward but it was great. And it was nice to meet a good few of the girls who were at Alabama when I was there, like Stephanie Meadow."
Definitely part of the future of professional golf @EuropeanTour @VicOpenGolf https://t.co/B1bgKke9pT
— Padraig Harrington (@padraig_h) February 9, 2019
Law (38), who was considering taking a winter job before he won the Scottish Challenge last year, was three shots off the lead with three holes to play.
But he followed a birdie at the 16th with a spectacular eagle three at the 18th, carding a six-under 66 to set an 18-under target that proved good enough for victory.
He won by one stroke from Australians Brad Kennedy and Wade Ormsby as Leona Maguire's former Duke University teammate Celine Boutier clinched the LPGA Tour event by two shots on eight-under.
David Law. Picture: Getty Images
"It's massive," said Law, who like Boutier, enjoyed a €156,250 payday. "It's not something I expected. For me just being out here playing on the European Tour was enough.
"I've been loving the four events I've played so far and to just be a European Tour player was what I was happy with.
"To have won today, it sort of changes things a little bit. I'll go home, reflect a little bit on things and reassess."
Boutier (25) carded a 72 to claim her maiden LPGA Tour win by two strokes from England's Charlotte Thomas and local favourites Sarah Kemp and Su Oh on eight-under.
While Meadow missed the halfway cut, Leona Maguire missed a secondary, 54-hole cut by just one stroke after she shot 74 in Saturday's high winds.
“I played solidly, just didn't make enough birdies,” said the Slieve Russell star, who was undone by a double bogey at the par-three seventh, her 16th hole, in the third round.
"Conditions were really tough so I was happy with how I stayed patient. The seventh hole just got me."
She was pleased to see Boutier claim her maiden LPGA Tour win and her fifth as a professional.
"Battled it out in all four seasons this week," Maguire tweeted of the changeable weather conditions. "Such a cool event to start my 2019 season playing alongside the lads for equal prize money! Big congrats to Celine Boutier."
As Meadow tees it up in the LPGA Tour’s ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open at Grange this week, Maguire has a week off before reappearing for back-to-back Ladies European Tour events Down Under — The Pacific Bay Resort Australian Ladies Classic - Bonville next week, followed by the ActewAGL Canberra Classic at Royal Canberra.
As for the Vic Open, the mixed event was again a big success and Dunne was certainly impressed.
“Great to be a part of @VicOpenGolf this year and the groundbreaking event that it was! 13th Beach and Barwons Head were top class as a course and a host town,” he wrote on Twitter. “Can't beat the sea air! Couldn't get anything to go on Sunday but taking positives from it.”
Dunne, Moynihan and Hoey now head 3,400 km west for this week’s ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth at Lake Karrinyup Country Club.
The event combines 54 holes of traditional stroke play across the first three days followed by six-hole knockout match play.
The top 65 and ties after 36 holes play the third round with 24 players advancing to play six-hole matches with the leading eight seeded into the second round of the match play.
The remaining 16 players are split into eight matches with the winners playing the eight seeds in round two.
