Lucas Herbert said he had been flooded with welcomed messages of support after his maiden PGA Tour win, but two legends of their own sports were the first he replied to.
LUCAS Herbert says he can’t remember too much about the epic celebration after his breakthrough PGA Tour victory in Bermuda, but direct messages on Instagram from Shane Warne and Greg Norman helped cure his wicked hangover on Monday.
Herbert came from four shots behind starting the final round of the Bermuda Championship to win his first title on the main US circuit, adding to a trophy cabinet that includes the European Tour’s Irish Open and Dubai Desert Classic.
This win, though, came with a $US1.1 million paycheque and a debut at the 2022 Masters, as well as other prestigious PGA Tour events such as the Players Championship and a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour.
The boy from Bendigo said he certainly drank a few after the milestone.
“I have to give a version here that I’m allowed to give,” he told a conference call with Australian media from the PGA Tour’s World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba.
“So Nick, my caddie, and myself, we were on a plane that was chartered through the tournament with a bunch of other players here to Mayakoba and I definitely celebrated well on there.
“I can’t tell you how well because I don’t remember a lot of it.
“Then my coach and my physio were still in Bermuda and they had a few celebratory drinks there as well. We all woke up with fairly significant hangovers on Monday morning.”
Herbert said messages of congratulations had come from all directions, but there were two names that stood out.
“I had a message on Instagram from Greg Norman, so that was pretty cool … and then Shane Warne messaged me today, too. I’m sort of name dropping there (laughs).”
The 25-year-old, who is now ranked world No.43, said securing his first trip to the Masters was the best bonus to come out of his Bermuda win.
Herbert said he would follow the move of most Masters competitors and take a short reconnaissance trip to Augusta National several weeks before it, so that the aura of the course isn’t overwhelming during the tournament.
“I would be silly not to (go there early),” he said. “I think I want to go there early when there’s no stands or anything up and just really take in what Augusta is.
“It’s going to be a pretty special place and to have everything with the tournament as well as Augusta hit you in one week, I think that can be pretty daunting. So I kind of want to go there a little earlier and just really take it all in.”
Although he will base himself in Orlando, Florida next year, Herbert said he was looking forward to returning to Australia.
He will play the Sandbelt Invitational put on by Geoff Ogilvy and Mike Clayton.
he’s also looking forward to some earned time off with his close mates.
“I’m looking forward to getting home, looking forward to chicken parma and a CC and Dry with the boys,” he said.
