Paul Lawrie hopes to beat pain to progress in his own event

Paul Lawrie will have to overcome both a foot injury and his former Ryder Cup partner Peter Hanson to reach the '¨second round of his own event in Germany.

Paul Lawrie faces former Ryder Cup partner Peter Hanson in the first round. Picture Michael Gillen

Now in its third year, the 
Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play was initially staged at Murcar Golf Links in Lawrie’s home city of 
Aberdeen before moving to Archerfield Links in 2016.

Despite providing a welcome break from the regular diet of 72-hole strokeplay, the event failed to draw large crowds and this year’s event is taking place at Bad Griesbach Golf Resort, which has hosted the Porsche European Open for the last two years.

“I played with Peter in the Ryder Cup in 2012, he and I were partners on the Friday
afternoon against Bubba
and Webb Simpson,” said Lawrie, pictured, who lost that match at Medinah but beat Brandt Snedeker in the singles as Europe staged a stunning fightback.

“His game is in a little bit better shape than mine at the moment, but once you’re competitive and you get over that line, you can always turn up and hopefully play well and do a job.” 
Lawrie, 48, had missed the cut in three straight events before finishing in a tie for 60th in the 76-man field in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, for which he qualified by winning the Dimension Data Pro-Am in February.

“I had a week off and went over to South Africa with my son as my partner and played really nicely that week,” the former Open champion said. “Ever since then I’ve got a problem with my left foot. I’ve got a bit of arthritis in both feet but my left foot is worse than the right, so I’m struggling a wee bit over four days.

“But if my feet are okay I still feel as though I can compete and still feel as though I can do well, but we’ll see what we get this week.”

England’s Anthony Wall will defend the title he won last year, a record 16 years and 204 days after his previous victory in South Africa.