Lawrie left to rue the ones that got away

IN THE matter of venting his spleen when adversity strikes, the only difference between Paul Lawrie and Colin Montgomerie is that the big Aberdonian tends to direct his anger towards himself, as opposed to anyone within about a 200-mile radius.

Self-examination and self-criticism of the severest order are central to Lawrie's character, a truth betrayed by his admission in The Scotsman nine days ago when he offered the arresting observation that he considers himself "a wasted talent". It is difficult to think of many who have won the Open championship who would make such a disparaging assessment of their achievements.

His final round in the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond yesterday could be described as typical of the fluctuating nature of his game, the 18 holes including inspiration and frustration almost in turn.

Anyone who can boast four birdies and two bogies in his first seven holes surely qualifies as mercurial. The one-under-par 70 he carded for a seven-under total of 206, however, testifies that the highs marginally outnumbered the lows. Having promised so much more – perhaps even serious contention for the title itself – when he opened his final assault with a birdie, Lawrie gave an exhibition of self-disgust with his drive at the par-5 third. It was the kind of shot which would have induced the average club golfer into buying the company a round of drinks, but Lawrie's angry swing of his driver into the ground was an indicator that he had drawn the ball a little too for left.

Even so, he was only a few feet into the rough and seemed to have put himself right with a lay-up iron. His third, though, from a mere 92 yards, was sent over the back of the green, followed by a chip and two putts that brought the ugly six. At that moment, he appeared tormented by self-recrimination.

That he should produce a textbook birdie at the very next hole was a tribute to his resilience, and he was palpably unfortunate not to hole his chip at the par-3 fifth, after a slightly wayward tee shot had landed on top of a greenside mound. Having failed to drop, the ball ran another 12 feet and cost him bogey. This was followed by birdies at six and seven, two under for the day and, at that point, just two strokes off the lead and, seemingly, gathering impetus.

Golf's equivalent of turning a corner and falling down an open manhole occurred at the 14th, a par-4 that offers the players the opportunity to drive the green and give themselves a chance of eagle. While Lawrie's playing partner, Robert Dinwiddie extracted the maximum reward, the Scot slightly pulled his drive, lost his ball, returned to the tee and ran up the only six among the 65 competitors who played the last day.

Coming back with a birdie at the very next hole was an extraordinary recovery, which Lawrie acknowledged afterwards, while insisting he is "in good shape" for this week's trip to Birkdale and the 2008 renewal of championship he won at Carnoustie in 1999.

"That was okay out there today," he said. "I played a lot of good shots, made some mistakes. Of course, it could have been better. I'm a golfer, it can always be better. I started well, bogeying the first, but had a poor drive at the third, although I recovered to lay up with the second. But I played a horrible third, from only 92 yards, over the back, and that cost me bogey. I think I did very well to come back with a birdie at the very next hole. But to come back with a birdie after my double bogey at the fourteenth was really very pleasing. It would have been very easy to allow what happened at the fourteenth to get to me, but I overcame the disappointment well.

"Of course, I'm looking forward to the Open, as I always do. It's my favourite tournament, the biggest of all and I always feel good going into it. I'm never down about going into that event. I'd like the conditions dry and fast, because links golf is what I'm best at, but it looks as though we won't get that this week. But I'll play the course as it comes. I'm quite happy the way things are."