Lawrie strolls to Johnnie Walker Championship win

GLENEAGLES, Scotland (AFP) –

Scotland’s Paul Lawrie, pictured on August 11, celebrated official confirmation of his return to the European Ryder Cup team with a resounding four-shot victory in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles on Sunday.

Scotland’s Paul Lawrie celebrated official confirmation of his return to the European Ryder Cup team with a resounding four-shot victory in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles on Sunday.

Lawrie, 43, shot a final round 68 for a 16-under par total of 272 in his second Tour victory this year and the eighth of his career.

Australia’s Brett Rumford secured his best finish in two years shooting a 68 for second place on 12-under par on the PGA Centenary course at Gleneagles.

Holland’s Maarten Lafeber (69), France’s Romain Wattel (72) and Sweden’s Fredrik Anderssen-Hed (65) shared third place on 11-under par.

Lawrie was delivering a further boost to Jose Maria Olazabal’s European team as this success came on the back of wins this month by fellow Ryder Cup team members Rory McIlroy in the PGA Championship and Sergio Garcia in the Wyndham Championship.

Lawrie made his Ryder Cup debut and 13 years on he will travel with Olazabal’s team later next month to Medinah as the oldest member of the European Team

“It feels pretty good to be Johnnie Walker champion and it’s been probably one of the best ball-striking weeks of my career,” he said.

“But then I putted pretty poorly and shot four under shows just how well I have been striking the ball and I’ve also been hitting a bit longer this week and that has helped.”

Lawrie’s winner’s cheque saw him move from fourth to be officially confirmed as the third place European qualifier for the Ryder Cup.

“Confidence-wise the last six weeks have not been easy and I have not played as well as I did at the start of the year,” said Lawrie.

“But by getting the Ryder Cup situation out of the way I have played really well and won the tournament, and if you are not going to be the most confident golfing going to the Ryder Cup you are going to struggle.

“However Rory (McIlroy) winning the PGA Championship is a huge lift for the team and for a European to win the last Major is massive.

“So I will be going to my second Ryder Cup playing nicely and hitting it lovely and I’m looking forward to it.”

Lawrie is scheduled to contest the next two events, the European Masters and KLM Open as well as hosting the Paul Lawrie Invitational at Deeside, a Scottish Tour event, in the week before the Ryder Cup.

And delighted to be returning to the European Ryder Cup team, Lawrie will target finishing the second a career best of inside the top-five on the Race to Dubai money list.

His Gleneagles victory lifted him up five places to seventh.

“Once I was confirmed for the Ryder Cup team my goal was to finish top-five in the Race to Dubai and any time you win a tournament this late in the year you are going to have a chance to jump up the money list,” he said.

“So this is a huge win for me in that regard and to do it in front of my home crowd is very satisfying.”