Grieving Laird pulls out of French Open

Published on 05/07/2012 00:00

MARTIN Laird has withdrawn from this week’s French Open due to the death of his grand- father.

The US-based player was due to make his first appearance in the event but advised European Tour officials he would not be traveling to Versailles and competing on the National course.

The absence of Laird, the world No 35, will mean he will struggle to qualify automatically for the Ryder Cup as well as contest the mandatory dozen tournaments to retain full European Tour membership.

Since rejoining the tour in January, Laird has played in only five tour events with only one on European soil, where he missed the cut in last month’s BWM PGA Championship at Wentworth.

Laird was 70th on the European points list and 22nd on the secondary world points list with the leading five on each list qualifying automatically.

Laird has entered next week’s Scottish Open at Castle Stuart and the following week’s Open Championship. With starts in the Bridgestone Invitational and the US PGA Championship, it will mean he will have contested nine events with no indication, at this stage, if he will again compete in European Tour-counting events this year.

Meanwhile, a year on from breaking his leg, Thomas Levet has not ruled out jumping in the lake again at the end of this week’s Alstom French Open at Le Golf National near Paris. Levet’s mishap put him out of the Open Championship and he did not play again until September. “I hope I go in again. It means I won the tournament,” said the defending champion, one of only two home players to lift the title since 1969.

World No 3 Lee Westwood heads a field that also includes Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter and Justin Rose.