Golf: Laing looking to be Ladies local hero

Now the 29-year-old is hoping some home comforts can help her chalk up a first success on the circuit in this week's Ladies' Scottish Open at Archerfield Links.

The 54-hole event tees off tomorrow at the East Lothian venue without North Berwick's Catriona Matthew, who is playing in one of the LPGA Tour's biggest tournaments in Oregon later in the week.

But hopes of a local success as the Scottish event makes a welcome return to the LET circuit are still high in the shape of Laing.

A four-time Scottish Girls' champion, Laing started her professional career in the United States, where she won the PAC-10 Championship in 2003 during a spell studying sociology at the University of California.

She held a card for the LPGA Tour for a spell and won the Gettysburg Championship on the Futures Tour in 2007 - one of six top-ten finishes that season.

But Laing, who played in the Junior Ryder Cup and also the Curtis Cup in 2002, returned home last year to try her luck on the European circuit. With the splendid Kings Acre Golf Academy as her base, the East Lothian woman is currently lying 18th on the money list with earnings of just under 66,000 from 14 events.

She was second in the Swiss Open and sixth equal in the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco. Last week, she led after the opening round of the Wales Open and was still in contention at halfway before falling back after a third-round 80.

Laing believes she is close to recording that first win and admits this week would be the perfect time for that to happen.

"I would take any win but if it came in my own backyard I certainly wouldn't say 'no' to it," she said.

"I am definitely looking forward to this week. It will be so nice to be staying at home when I'm playing in a tournament.

"I've played at Archerfield a few times and hopefully the (pro-am] format will be a bit of fun."

Laing played in the Scottish Open at The Carrick two years ago but reckons her game is in much better shape going into this week's event.

In the absence of both Matthew and Jancie Moodie, she'll be leading the home challenge along with the likes of Mhairi McKay, Carly Booth, Krystle Caithness, Pamela Feggans, Lynn Kenny, Kathryn Imrie, Clare Queen and Kylie Walker. "Moving back (to Britain] has allowed me to see my coach, Simon Fletcher, who I have worked with for six or seven years now, a lot more," commented Laing.

"It is nice to be able to get some work done together rather than sending him emails of my swing, as I was doing when I was based in America.

"I also changed my putter at the beginning of the year and, on the whole, have been rolling in a few more putts, though not in Wales at the weekend!

"My main goal is to keep improving and I feel I'm doing that. I am hoping to get back on the LPGA Tour again but I will definitely be concentrating on Europe again next season.

"I still have some goals I would like to achieve this season. One, of course, is to win a tournament while I also want to finish in the top 15 on the money-list."

Becky Brewerton, the Solheim Cup player from Wales, heads the field for an event which is being presented by EventScotland.

In addition to a strong-looking Scottish contingent, her main rivals for the title are likely to include South African stars Lee-Anne Pace, the winner in Wales, and Ashleigh Simon, as well as England's Rebecca Hudson, Felicity Johnson, Lisa Hall and Trish Johnson.

French duo Anne-Lise Caudal and Virginie Lagoutte-Clement will have high hopes of emulating their compatriot Gwladys Nocera, the winner two years ago.

And the Australian challenge also looks to be strong, particularly in the shape of Nikki Garrett and Karen Lunn.

Add in the likes of Germany Bettina Hauert, Emma Cabrera-Bello of Spain and Italian Veronica Zorzi and it's easy to see why Laing reckons local golf fans should seriously consider paying a trip to Archerfield over the next three days. "The standard on the LET is extremely high," she said. "I'm hoping to get a few extra people out watching me due to the fact I'm playing in my own backyard.

"And I would certainly recommend a visit to the event for anyone this week as I'm sure there will be a lot of good golf on view."

The event is being played on the Fidra Course as a pro-am over the three days and the amateurs taking part include supermodel Jodie Kidd and former Liverpool star and BBC pundit Alan Hansen.

"We are delighted to be presenting partner for this year's Aberdeen Ladies Scottish Open," said Paul Bush OBE, chief operating officer at EventScotland. "Archerfield Links will provide the perfect stage for the amateurs and professionals alike to have a wonderful three days of competition for everyone to enjoy.

"The Aberdeen Ladies Scottish Open is an important event on Scotland's busy golfing calendar this year and it is fantastic to see such a strong field of Scottish players in the line-up."