Golf: Laird off to a flyer in US tour opener

SCOTS golfer Martin Laird got his PGA Tour season off to a flying start in Hawaii and immediately targeted a place in Europe's Ryder Cup team in ten months.

Laird ended the opening day a shot behind first-round leader Lucas Glover at the SBS Championship at the Kapalua Resort's Plantation Course in a 28-player season-opening field restricted to last year's US Tour event winners.

The Glaswegian, who landed his maiden professional victory at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas last October, sank seven birdies and one bogey on the par-73, 7,411-yard course for a six-under-par 67.

Laird, who turned 28 nine days ago, has played his entire career in the United States having turned professional in 2004 after graduating from Colorado State University and he admitted he had not met 2010 Ryder Cup captain and fellow Scot Colin Montgomerie.

He does, however, intend to put that right ahead of this October's matches against the USA at Celtic Manor in south Wales.

"I've never met Monty but hopefully I will get to know him pretty well this year and really well in Wales." said Laird.

Having been the first player to tee off at Kapalua, Laird watched his score matched as the day progressed, being joined in the clubhouse on six under by Australian Nathan Green soon after.

American Matt Kuchar followed suit and US Open champion Glover was on the same mark until he birdied the last to take the outright lead with an opening 66.

• BATHGATE'S Stephen Gallacher made an impressive return to European action in the Africa Open at the East London Golf Club, South Africa. Gallacher carded a three-under-par 70 to leave him four shots off the lead held by five players – South Africans Richard Sterne, Trevor Fisher Junior and Titch Moore, plus Sweden's Patrik Sjoland and Dane Mark Haastrup.