Martin Laird rejuvenated by trip home after 'not really enjoying golf much this year'
Scot who has won four times on PGA Tour opens up how hard he’s found waiting on ‘last-minute’ chances
US-based Martin Laird has been rejuvenated by a trip home and being reminded that links golf makes competitive golf fun compared to what he’s become accustomed to on the other side of the Atlantic.
For the second year in a row, the four-time PGA Tour winner was back on Scottish soil to play in the Nexo Championship at Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire last week. He was on the back foot after an opening 78 but then shot rounds of 69-73-67 to finish in a tie for 24th as compatriot Scott Jamieson landed the DP World Tour title.
“A lot of good golf this week,” reported Laird of his week’s work, which included a bogey-free effort in the second round. “Honestly, I think it was one of the best rounds I’ve played in a long time,” he added. “I took a lot from that as that’s as good as I’ve played and putted in a while.”
The Glaswegian, who rose to a career-high 21st in the Official World Golf Ranking, has played five times this year on the PGA Tour, with the majority of his starts coming on the KornFerry Tour, where Sandy Scott is pushing hard to secure a main tour ticket for next season.
“It’s been a stop-start season,” said Laird, a two-time Shriners Hospitals for Children Open winner on the US circuit, where he also landed the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Valero Texas Open. “ You know, I’ve not really enjoyed it very much.
“I’ve been so spoiled and this was the first year that I’ve not really known when I might be getting into events. It’s all last-minute stuff and I’ll admit that I’m a bit of a planner. I think that comes with the territory of having status for all these years. You sit down and pick your schedule and not having a schedule has been a bit weird.
“I’m happy in terms of still having fun playing golf when I’m at home with friends.I have a blast. Also being at home is great as my kids are a great age. So, while it’s annoying that I’m not getting starts, it’s been nice to be at home a lot more this year. I tried to play some KornFerry Tour events and didn’t play very well. So I’ve just decided that I will wait to get into PGA Tour events.”
For his visit home last week, Laird had John Dempster, a fellow Scot and one of the most experienced caddies on this side of the pond, on his bag, and it was clear to see that the two of them enjoyed their week together on the north-east coast.
‘This was fun playing golf’
“I couldn’t wait to get over here,” admitted Laird. “I’ve not really liked golf this year because I’ve been struggling. Anyone who has played professional golf and you are missing most cuts, it’s not much fun. My mind thinks I can still do it in practice. But then you go out and don’t do it for weeks on end, you start thinking ‘is this worth it?’
“About a month or six weeks ago, I decided that I really wanted to come back and play in the Nexo Championship and I was really thankful that Nexo gave me a spot. This was fun playing golf. Even in the conditions, this course is so good. As we were saying in my group in the final round, you can’t get better-looking golf holes. It’s also in unbelievable shape. The greens were great this week. As I said to John, it was great having fun playing golf again.
“In America all the time, it’s get your number, aim at the flag and hit it. Trying to figure out what to hit is so much fun. It is always good to come back. I always enjoy playing links golf, but I didn’t realise how much I missed playing links golf until I came and played it and I was like ‘man, this fun!’
Hoping to get some PGA Tour starts between now and the end of the year in the circuit’s Fall Series, Laird is 43 and faces a six-and-a-half year wait to be eligible for the Champions Tour. “People already think I am playing there,” he said, laughing. “Someone the other week said to me ‘did I see you in Houston at the Champions Tour event?’ I was like ‘no’. They said ‘how old are you?’ I said 43 and they’re like ‘I’m sorry!’ I get it, though, as I do have a grey beard!
“The closer I get to 50, the more I actually think ‘I might do that’. If you’d asked me ten years ago, I would have said ‘nah’. But I still love the competition, as I did in the Nexo Championship. I loved that out there. When you are playing well, as I was in the final round in particular, and also grinding and scrambling to make pars, it’s great. It’s all I know, really, for 30-odd years!”
The PGA Tour as Laird and others know it is about to change. Starting in 2028, it is set to involve a Championship Series and a Challenge Series, with promotion and relegation in place. The aim is to create a “more compelling experience for players, fans and partners”.
“Unless I get really hot for a couple of weeks at the end of the season, it’s not really going to affect me,” declared Laird, who is based in Arizona, having decided to make the US his home after going to Colorado State University in Denver.
“I guess time will tell. Some guys think it is great; some guys think it is terrible. I’m kind of in the middle. I like some of the ideas but I also don’t like a lot of them. I know changes were needed, but I think this might be a bit of a big change. We’ll see, I guess, in five years’ time if they are making more changes.”
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