David Cannon/Getty Images
Herbert poses with the Dallah trophy after his play-off win at the 31st Omega Dubai Desert Classic at The Emirates Golf Club on January 26, 2020.

By Kent Gray
Lucas Herbert intends on celebrating his life-changing European Tour breakthrough exactly how you’d imagine any excited young Aussie battler would on Australia day.

But before the bubbly and the giddy realisation of his achievement sink in, the 24-year-old paused to dedicate his wild playoff win over Christiaan Bezuidenhout at the 31st OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic to those battling his country’s devastating wildfires.

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Exempt till 2022 after victory at one of the most iconic tournaments on tour and into the top-80 in the world rankings. With this to build on, what do you think you are capable of, interviewer Tim Barter asked on the 18th green soon after Herbert’s two-putt birdie in the second hole of overtime had sealed the Dallah trophy and a  $541, 660 payday.

“A hangover tomorrow,” Herbert said before taking a more serious tone, the 33 victims and more than 18.5 million hectares of land left cindered by the bushfires tempering his deserved elation.

“Oh, there’s too much to think about right now. I know everyone back home is still going to be up and obviously there’s some pretty average stuff happening in Australia right now with the fires.

“Cam Smith sort of said it a couple of weeks ago when he won [ the Sony Open in Hawaii] and I’d love to say the same thing. Everyone in the world is right behind us and hopefully we can keep fighting harder than what I did on that first playoff hole [when he plonked his second in the water but survived to fight on with a gritty up and down from the drop zone].

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“That’s nothing compared to the firefighters and the volunteers that are putting out the fires. So, yeah, send all my love back home and hope everyone is well and, yeah, thanks for the support.”

With that, the smile returned as Barter urged Herbert on his way with a “go and enjoy” send-off. “Don’t worry, I will”.

It will take some time for his closing 68 and the dramatic playoff victory to truly register. After two top-10s last season – including a T-7 in Dubai – and 10 in total, it was mightily satisfying to get over the line in what was his 50th European Tour start.

The biggest battle has been between Herbert’s ears, a fight he was still battling with sports psychologist Jamie Glazier as late as the range as he warmed up for the playoff.

“Yeah like, last week I was probably like 20th [actually T-12] going into the weekend and for probably like the 10th time in the last 12 months seemed to just back it out and finish at the back end of the field,” Herbert said of his eventual share of 67th in Abu Dhabi.

“We got really frustrated so we just sort of put in some really good tactics this week. I’ve got a mental coach, Jamie Glazier, just trying to be really positive, writing down a lot of positive stuff, and it’s so clichéd but it works. I felt so confident out there and just felt like good golf was going to come.

“I spoke to him just before the playoff and we talked about the fact I hit some really poor shots out there today, obviously the second shot in the first playoff hole not one of my best, but if you go back and watch any sort of winners, like final nine holes, final round, playoffs, it’s never a perfect scenario.

“Everyone always hits bad shots in there and you know, everyone will probably forget about that now I’ve got that up and down and now won the tournament.”

Lucas Herbert of Australia celebrates with his caddie John Rawlings. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

It wasn’t perfect but then no one was in this wild and woolly final day in Dubai. And yes, they won’t remember how Herbert won the Desert Classic, just that his name is now engraved on the Dallah.

“The last 10 minutes just feels like I’ve been dreaming, it’s so weird,” Herbert said after joining Richard Green as the second Australian winner of the ‘Major of the Middle East’, 23 years after the lefty edged Greg Norman and Ian Woosnam, fittingly in a playoff.

“Mate, that’s awesome. It’s just the best thing ever, it’s so good. We’ve got a bottle at home in Australia so I can’t wait to get into that with the boys.”

Chances are the celebrations in Bendigo might still be going by the time Herbert arrives.