Having reservations about continuing in the game he loves, securing his European Tour card, getting engaged to fiancée Natasha and suffering the heartbreak of losing a child, David Law has experienced the highs and lows of what both golf and life have to offer.
The 27 year old was one of four Scots to secure his European Tour playing privileges by finishing in the top 15 of the European Challenge Tour’s Road to Ras Al Khaimah, alongside Grant Forrest, Liam Johnston and Robert MacIntyre.
But while Johnston and MacIntyre achieved European Tour status in their first year as professionals, it has been a longer road to the promised land for Law.
After a stellar amateur career in which he won the Scottish Boys and Scottish Amateur Championships, Law joined the paid ranks in 2013.
His first full season on the Challenge Tour yielded a finish of 60thplace in the Rankings; his best ending until the current promotion-winning year.
Despite always believing in his own ability to reach Europe’s top tier, there was a stage where Law was forced to consider if a professional career was the way to move forward, and even accepted a position with one of his sponsors to work over the winter.
“I think that it’s only natural you begin to have some doubts,” he recently toldBunkered. “I knew I was good enough to play and be competitive at a higher level but when you keep getting knocks you start to wonder if you’ll ever get the chance.
“It’s not something I really spoke to many people about. I tend to keep my thoughts to myself most of the time but I talked it over with Duncan Stewart and my fiancée Natasha was great, too. It’s not something you really want to think about but there comes a point when you can’t ignore it any longer.”
Law’s plan for the rest of the season was fairly simple; finish the Challenge Tour season and then leave golf behind and go to work over the winter.
However, victory at the SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge hosted by Macdonald Hotels & Resorts meant everything changed.
“I was quite prepared to do it and, to be honest, I was looking forward to it,” he says. “It was something completely different and it would have helped out a lot if I didn’t get a European Tour card.
“It’s a long winter when you play on the Challenge Tour. You can go months without playing. So, this was a good opportunity to earn some extra money. Of course, then I went to Aviemore and won.”
Regarded as one of the nicest guys on the Challenge Tour circuit, Law’s success this season has been well received by many within the world of golf.
His superb season is even more impressive considering the pain he suffered off-the-course in 2017 when partner Natasha gave birth to a stillborn son.
“When you go through something like that, you realise how fragile life is," he says. "I’m just so grateful that we got the support we did. It was unbelievable.
“I went back to play two weeks after it happened and, honestly, it was probably six weeks too early. We were both still in a pretty bad way. But I had to play and I knew that the longer I put it off, the harder going back would be.
“That first week, in particular, was horrendous. I didn’t like being on the course and I hated being away from Natasha. It was pretty terrible.
“Fortunately, the guys were great. There were a few who'd avoid you because they didn’t know what to say and they didn’t want to upset you by saying or doing the wrong thing and, honestly, I think I’d probably have been the same before it happened to us, so I completely understand that.
"Equally, you’d get guys who maybe you didn’t know that well who would be brilliant and check in to see how you were getting on and so on. You see people in a whole new light.”
That tragedy forced the Scot to re-evaluate his outlook on life and he believes his new mindset has helped on – and away from – the fairways.
“Golf isn’t the 'be all and end all' like it was before,” he says. “I’ve got a new perspective about how important it all is in the grand scheme of things.
“My attitude towards people has probably changed, too. I’ve always thought of myself as a sociable, friendly person but I definitely have a new appreciation for just asking how somebody is. It's a small, simple thing but it can make a huge difference.”
Law’s maiden European Tour season will begin at the Honma Hong Kong Open presented by Amundi later this month and following a low-key celebration after securing his card, he has quickly refocussed ahead of a new challenge.
“I just had a couple of drinks in the hotel bar as I had a flight to catch early the next morning,” he laughs. “I hear the other three lads [MacIntyre, Forrest and Johnston] all had a good night but it was a bit more low-key for me. Besides, I’m 27 now - I'm the old man of the group!
“It’s brilliant to get onto the European Tour, it’s something I’ve dreamed about for years.
“But I can’t afford to dwell on it. Now, I’ve got to re-focus and set about making the most of that opportunity because that's all it is - an opportunity. Getting onto the Tour is only part one and now it’s done. Staying there, being competitive and winning there is the next stage and so I’ve got to look towards that.”
