Anytime a tour pro gets their first win, the immediate reaction from fans and media is often “what’s next?” or “here’s what this win gets (insert player).” Omega Dubai Desert Classic winner Lucas Herbert had far more pressing matters on his mind overnight at Emirates Golf Club.

Herbert, 24, was six shots off the lead of Ashun Wu heading into the final round, needing to post a number in addition to getting help from the leaders. The Aussie did his part, shooting a four-under 68, and he got more than enough help from Wu, who stumbled to a final-round 77.

But it was only enough to get into a playoff, as South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout also shot a closing 68 to tie Herbert at nine-under for the week. Herbert edged him on the second playoff hole, the par-5 18th, making birdie to beat Bezuidenhout’s par and claim his first career European Tour victory.

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After holing the winning putt, a European Tour reporter interviewing Herbert began rattling off the list of things that Herbert gets with the win – exempt on the Euro Tour until 2022, top-80 ranking in the world, etc. “With this to build on, what do you think you’re capable of?” asked the reporter. Here’s how Herbert responded:

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Yeah, all that other stuff is nice, but a victory drink is the No.1 priority. Perfectly said, Lucas. Sounds like it’s going to be a good drink, too.

“We’ve got a bottle of scotch at home to celebrate with back in Australia,” Herbert said. “So I can’t wait to get into that with the boys.”

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On a day when the average score from the 71 players soared to 74.76, Herbert emerged from the morass to claim victory with the highest winning score in the event’s 31-year history. The Victorian’s 68, the low score of the day, and nine-under-par 279 total were both matched Bezuidenhout. All of which was merely the culmination of a day marked by a seemingly endless stream of widespread disaster. By way of example, overnight leader Wu needed 42 shots to play his final nine holes, yet finished only four strokes short of what would have been a fourth European Tour victory.

But none suffered more than defending champion Bryson DeChambeau. The extreme combination of weather and course set-up was not to his liking. Not at all. Young Bryson, it must be said, often does not handle adversity well. Nine days on from a missed cut in Abu Dhabi and the first flounce of his fortnight in the Middle East, the world No.17 repeated the performance at the end of a day that began so promisingly.

Two birdies in his first three holes had taken the then-smiling American to 11-under par and into a tie for the lead with Wu. From there, however, things went first gradually downhill, then more precipitously.

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By the turn, DeChambeau had fallen to eight-under. Then on the 10th hole, DeChambeau he was issued a slow-play warning from European Tour officials. Still golf’s self-styled scientist began the back nine with four pars and a birdie, giving himself a chance at the repeat win. But, sadly for the man who won by seven strokes a year ago, a par on the 14th hole was followed by an error-strewn finish.

Four straight bogeys to close left DeChambeau with a final-round 76 and a five-under total that was good enough for only a tie for eighth place, four shots short of the playoff. In totality, it was a bit of a horror show. Three-putts on the short 15th started the slide. The 16th green was missed, as was the 17th (twice) with short pitches from, you guessed it, cloyingly heavy rough. And, just to round things off, his second shot on the par-5 18th landed in water rather than on land en route to that fourth-successive bogey.

Cue flounce No.2.

Maybe two minutes after his manager announced to European Tour officials that there would be no cozy post-round chat with the media, DeChambeau, eyes glaring, face flushed red, marched across the practice putting green towards the clubhouse. Given how much he has bulked up recently, it is to be hoped that no one was daft enough to get in his way.

Herbert was understandably in finer fettle after his two-putt birdie on the second playoff hole at the aforementioned 18th was too good for his opponent. That, however, has not always been the case. Only a few months ago, he went public with the mental-health issues that blighted his 2019 season. Consider the following quote:

“Halfway through the year, when I came home from the Irish and Scottish Opens, I didn’t even know if I wanted to play anymore because I just didn’t enjoy the game,” Herbert said on the PGA Golf Club podcast. “I was playing great but I didn’t enjoy the game, didn’t enjoy a round, didn’t enjoy the many sacrifices that you have to make to play well. I just was not in a place where I wanted to make them. I was like, ‘If I lose my tour card this year, I’ll happily go home and get a job as a chippy or a carpenter or something like that.’”

Lucas Herbert
Herbert celebrates with his caddie John Rawlings after he had holed the winning putt. [Photo: David Cannon]

All of which was in complete contrast to the happy, smiling figure on the podium at the post-tournament press conference.

“I started off with a bogey and worried about where that was going to take me for the day,” said Herbert, who, representing Australia, was second behind Jon Rahm in the individual section of the 2014 World Amateur Team Championship. “But from then on I just played nice, solid golf. My goal at the start of the day was anything under par. That was always going to be a really good score. It was so tough out there. Anyway, I did everything well. A few putts managed to go in here and there and I pulled off some pretty good shots when I needed to. It’s a really good feeling sitting here at the moment.”

At least one person had fun out there on Australia Day.