Thriston Lawrence became king of the Munich Eichenried golf course on Sunday, winning the BMW International Open, but he still behaved like a regular South African boytjie.
After the prize-giving, endless photographs and media interviews, Lawrence popped into the VIP lounge for a quick celebratory drink before heading back to his hotel.
But he had no chance of a quick departure as the tournament guests flocked around him to ask for autographs and pose for photographs. He obliged them all happily with his boyish smile and well-mannered words.
The kid, who grew up playing the bulk of his golf at the Nelspruit club, told journalists that he would return to work on Monday, preparing for the British Masters at the Belfry, the next stop on the DP World Tour.
But by late Sunday evening, even before the party had shifted into town, enough champagne had flowed to suggest that nursing a little babalaas was the most likely prognosis for Monday.
And why not? His triumph ended a tough time in the trenches for the 26-year-old, especially the past six weeks in the US.
After winning the SA Open in December, his fortunes went south for a while.
“I got an injury in Abu Dhabi [in January] that set me back,” said Lawrence, who hurt a tendon in his left thumb.
“I should have taken three months off. Didn’t. Played through the injury and it was probably one of the worst mistakes I've ever made, but I mean, I had to play and I wanted to play — I'm a competitor, you know, that's what I do for a living.
“And I went to America and had unbelievable opportunities where it was out of my comfort zone in a sense of not playing week in, week out.”
In the US Lawrence played the PGA Championship, took a week off and played the Memorial, took a week off and then competed in the US Open. He made only one cut.
“It felt like I was a 10-year-old boy who had a weekend off and just go play.
“I’m used to playing four or five weeks in a row and I had to learn and it gave me a lot of experience to sort of activate my mentality of ‘okay, this is one chance, you have to do well this week’. You have to sort of prepare yourself for one week only, but obviously I failed a bit.
“But then again, you never fail, you learn,” said Lawrence, who plans to take a week’s break before playing the $9-m Scottish Open from July 13-16 and then the Open from July 20-23.
Lawrence was particularly chuffed with the Amateur Championship victory by compatriot Christo Lamprecht on Saturday.
“South Africa is just dominating if you look at the size and I'm honoured to be alongside him and I promise you we’re fighting week in, week out to keep the South African flag high.”
- David Isaacson was in Munich courtesy of South African Tourism
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