Martin Laird fires 66 to trail Paul Casey by two shots

MARTIN Laird, who finished in a tie for tenth in last week's WGC-Cadillac Championship, maintained his good form in yesterday's opening round of the Transitions Championship at Innisbrook in Florida.

The Scottsdale-based Scot carded a five-under-par 66 to sit just two shots off the lead, held by Englishman Paul Casey, who shot an impeccable seven-under- par effort.

Casey started at the 10th hole and registered seven birdies without a bogey, capping his stellar card with back-to-back birdies from the seventh.

The world No 7, who won the Volvo Golf Champions event in Bahrain on the European Tour earlier in the season, held a two-stroke lead over Laird, Garrett Willis and the red-hot Nick Watney. The American, who won last week's WGC- Cadillac Championship at Doral and has finished top-10 in each of his five tournaments this year.

Watney had taken his score to seven-under after a string of three birdies from the first hole after making the turn, but slipped back with bogeys at the fourth and eighth.

Bunched another stroke back at 67 were South African Rory Sabbatini, bidding for his second PGA Tour success in the space of a fortnight, Australian John Senden and Americans Justin Leonard, Joe Durant, Ryan Moore and Gary Woodland.