Peter Lawrie started the week clutching the final ticket to the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, and now the Dubliner appears on course to end it with his berth booked for the season finale after signing for his second successive round of 68 at the UBS Hong Kong Open.
Lawrie came into this week’s US$2million tournament a mere €14,997 ahead of his nearest Race to Dubai rival, Englishman David Howell, but has consolidated his position in the top 60 of the Rankings with a polished performance at Hong Kong Golf Club.
The former Open de España champion suffered an early wobble on Friday morning, bogeying the fourth hole, but subsequently made light of the stiff breeze with restorative birdies at the seventh and eighth.
Lawrie eagled the par five 13th on the opening day, and he again showed his liking for the hole with a birdie on day two to move to four under par and within sight of the leaders – and indeed a trip to Dubai.
He said: “I came into the week in 60th position, which could be fortunate or unfortunate, depending on what way you look at it. I’ve been moving down the Rankings all the time over the last five weeks, after not getting into tournaments. So it’s quite difficult to get that out of your head this week.
“As I said to a few people at home, I have to try to play mind games with myself this week and try to get past it. I was in a similar position last year and managed to make Dubai, so hopefully we can get there again.
“I attempted to work out what I would need to guarantee my place when I got here on Monday, but I ripped it up straightaway and said to myself: “Don’t even go there, Peter”. Apart from anything, it’s complicated by the fact that South Africa finishes after us. So you could be on the plane to Dubai thinking you’ve made it, and all of a sudden you find out you haven’t. But we’ll just work away and see where it takes us.”
In many ways Lawrie’s predicament is a nice one is a nice one in contrast to the battle to claim a coveted place on The 2013 European Tour International Schedule, which is altogether more intense.
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