Martin Laird: My belly putter is not that big an advantage

MARTIN Laird insists long putters are “not that huge an advantage” but is praying the day doesn’t arrive when junior golfers start their careers using them.

Speaking ahead of his title defence in this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, the Scot backed the use of long and belly putters, having wielded one himself since 2006 in climbing to No 36 in the world.

“Just because you use a belly putter, you don’t automatically become a good putter because, if that was the case, everyone would use one. So it’s not that huge an advantage,” he insisted.

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Asked if he could see juniors one day starting out with belly putters, Laird added: “No, because I feel like, if you started a kid with a belly putter, he or she would probably never be able to go the other way.

“If you start a kid with a short putter and they’re a good putter, then you can leave them. If I had a son, I would definitely start him with a short putter.”

Laird’s win at Bay Hill a year ago completed a dream day for Scottish golf after Paul Lawrie’s success a few hours earlier in the Andalucian Open.

“It’s all a little blurry,” he recalled when asked if he could remember what Palmer, the tournament host, had said to him him after his victory. “I remember he congratulated me and I said he had a very tough golf course out there. He kind of smiled and said, ‘That’s the way I like it’.”