Martin Laird breaks into world's top 100 after bold effort in Hawaii

MARTIN Laird, who got his 2010 campaign off to a great start by tying for fourth place behind Geoff Ogilvy in the SBS Championship in Hawaii, has received a further boost after breaking into the world's top 100 for the first time.

The 27-year-old, who picked up $300,000 in prize-money as well as valuable Ryder Cup points for his excellent debut performance in the PGA Tour opener at the Kapalua Resort, has leapt to 84th in the latest rankings, having started the year in 104th position.

He's the first Scot to figure in the top 100 since Alastair Forsyth over a year ago and has risen from 268th in the rankings in the space of 12 months, leapfrogging Forsyth, Colin Montgomerie, Paul Lawrie, Richie Ramsay and Gary Orr in that time to take over as Scotland's highest-ranked player.

Laird, who earned more in the one tournament than any player other than South Africa's Charl Schwartzel has in the opening three events on the 2010 European Tour, will now be hoping he can climb into the top 50 to really boost his Ryder Cup hopes by securing spots in the majors and the big-money World Golf Championship tournaments.

Laird finished the SBS Championship as the best of the seven players who were making their first appearance in the event that comprises of winners from the previous season. The Glaswegian, who earned his place after winning the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas, also finished ahead of all four of last season's major winners – Angel Cabrera, Lucas Glover, Stewart Cink and Y E Yang – as well as Kenny Perry, Retief Goosen, Steve Stricker and Zach Johnson.

"I really didn't know what to expect," said Laird, who hasn't entered this week's Sony Open, the second leg of the PGA Tour's double-header in Hawaii, but is likely to be back in action at the Bob Hope Classic at La Quinta later in the month.

"I watched this tournament on television a lot. I knew about the elevation changes. But, until you actually get here and see them, every hole is an elevation change. But I really liked it. I like hitting driver, and this is a golf course where you could hit driver every hole almost if you want to. That's pretty much what I did this week."

Meanwhile, Ogilvy has promised not to make the same mistakes that led to a slump in form during the height of his 2009 campaign. After his success in Hawaii 12 months ago, the former US Open champion went on to win the World Golf Champions-Accenture Match Play in Tucson a few weeks later only to struggle for the rest of the year.

Ogilvy successfully defended his title at Kapalua by shooting a final-round 67 on the par-73 Plantation Course to finish at 22-under-par, a shot better than South Africa's Rory Sabbatini.

As Ogilvy turned his attention to his 2010 European Tour debut at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship next week, the Australian said things would be different from last year.

"I think I learned a little bit last year," he commented. "When the game started going a little bit awry, I pushed a bit too hard. I went to the range too much, shot too many balls and I was trying to force it back. It never came back and that's obviously not right way in golf, you have to let it come back."