Paul Lawrie and Martin Laird’s wins on either side of the Atlantic at the weekend should be the perfect launching point for a renaissance of Scottish professional golf that both men have already played a part in off the course.
A putt on the final green of the last tournament of that year saw him qualify for a second season, and in October 2009 he made his breakthrough with victory in the Las Vegas tournament sponsored by singer Justin Timberlake, for the first Scottish win in the PGA Tour since Lyle’s victory at Augusta.
Last year Laird was more consistent, winning over two million dollars, finishing in the top five four times, and losing the Barclays Championship in sudden death. Laird also played in The Open, the Barclays Scottish Open and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, claiming fifth for his best European Tour finish in the latter event.
Although he changed his game at college, Laird is aware of the development of the game in his homeland and is right behind recent moves to improve it.
“Scottish golf pretty much every year in amateur golf is really good,” he said. “We always do well in all of the big amateur tournaments and won the Eisenhower Trophy for the world team championship a couple of years ago. But, for some reason, guys trying to make the transition from amateur golf to professional golf has just not been working.
“I was lucky enough when I was over here. When I graduated I had a group of sponsors that gave me some money to play and I didn’t have to worry about paying my bills and entry fees. I could just go work on my game and try and get better. People back in Scotland don’t always have that luxury.
“I believe now they have a system set up with a couple of sponsors and I think some government funding that they are going to try and bridge that gap between amateur golf and guys turning pro. So hopefully in the next while they’ll come through because there’s no doubt we have the talent in the country.”
Lawrie’s active part in the development of golf in Scotland is well known. His foundation helps several amateur and pro players in the north-east and his full backing goes to the Team Scottish Hydro project for developing pros, as well as the government-backed scheme set up by the Scottish Golf Union and Scottish Ladies Golfing Association.
But the 42-year-old had never lost faith he could win again for himself, even when he initially struggled with his two-shot advantage going into Sunday’s play.
After his famous 1999 Open win, reeling in a record 10-shot deficit on the final day at Carnoustie, Lawrie won the Dunhill Links in 2001 and then a dominating five-shot win in Wales the following year, before falling ill of swing troubles.
The Aberdonian switched his way through several coaches, before settling with the veteran Scottish swing guru Bob Torrance for his long game last year and Adam Hunter, his coach in 1999, as short-game instructor after the former Portuguese Open champion recovered from a battle with leukaemia.
“It’s been nine long years without a win but finally it’s here,” he said. “I got off to a horrible start by bogeying three of the first four holes but I managed to stay calm. I knew I was swinging well so just had to be patient.
“I cannot explain how good it feels to win again and I also get into the World Matchplay in a few weeks, which is awesome. Huge congratulations to Martin for his big win it was a great weekend for both of us.”
His next big golfing date is for 15-year-old son Craig, who makes his debut at the Scottish Boys Championship in Dunbar from April 11. Off a 4.1 handicap, Craig is already more advanced than his dad was at the same age, Paul turning pro in the club shop at Banchory at 17 when he played off five.
Lawrie, the 1999 Open champion, claimed his sixth career European Tour win at the Open de Andalucia his first title since 2002.
He recovered from an uncertain start to his final round at Parador Golf in Malaga to beat former Scottish Open champion Johan Edfors of Sweden by a single shot.
Similarly, in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Florida, Laird carried a lead into the final round, struggled early on but rallied brilliantly with two birdies and two pars in his last four holes.
He become only the second Scot to win twice on the PGA Tour, following five-time winner and 1988 Masters champion Sandy Lyle.
Laird became the first European to win the title hosted by the legend of the game in over 30 years.
He won just over a million dollars in prize money as a result and moved to fourth place in the PGA Tour FedEx Cup standings, with what was his sixth top-10 finish this season.
It’s all quite a turnaround for a player almost forgotten in his homeland when he settled in the US, after a solid amateur career that saw him capped in the 2003 Home Internationals, win the Scottish youths title, and reach the semi-finals of the Scottish Amateur at Downfield.
On Sunday in Florida, and teeing up in Scottish dark blue at Bay Hill, like Lawrie in Malaga, Laird was well aware of what had happened in Spain a couple of hours earlier.
“I found that out and that’s obviously fantastic that Paul won on the European Tour,” he said. “Sandy Lyle won last week on the European Senior Tour as well, so that’s three wins by Scottish golfers in the last two weeks.
“It’s no secret that Scottish golf has been down for a few years after Monty’s dominance. Now we have got a lot of good players. We just need to get up there and get experience and to have two wins in one week is obviously huge.”
From Glasgow although when in the UK these days he stays with his parents who moved to Upper Largo in Fife Laird went on a scholarship at the unfashionable outpost of Colorado State University.
Laird almost completely changed his style of game, settled in Arizona when he turned professional and stayed in the US when he qualified for the PGA Tour through the Nationwide Tour, in 2008.
Continued…
Lawrie, the 1999 Open champion, claimed his sixth career European Tour win at the Open de Andalucia his first title since 2002.
He recovered from an uncertain start to his final round at Parador Golf in Malaga to beat former Scottish Open champion Johan Edfors of Sweden by a single shot.
Similarly, in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Florida, Laird carried a lead into the final round, struggled early on but rallied brilliantly with two birdies and two pars in his last four holes.
He become only the second Scot to win twice on the PGA Tour, following five-time winner and 1988 Masters champion Sandy Lyle.
Laird became the first European to win the title hosted by the legend of the game in over 30 years.
He won just over a million dollars in prize money as a result and moved to fourth place in the PGA Tour FedEx Cup standings, with what was his sixth top-10 finish this season.
It’s all quite a turnaround for a player almost forgotten in his homeland when he settled in the US, after a solid amateur career that saw him capped in the 2003 Home Internationals, win the Scottish youths title, and reach the semi-finals of the Scottish Amateur at Downfield.
On Sunday in Florida, and teeing up in Scottish dark blue at Bay Hill, like Lawrie in Malaga, Laird was well aware of what had happened in Spain a couple of hours earlier.
“I found that out and that’s obviously fantastic that Paul won on the European Tour,” he said. “Sandy Lyle won last week on the European Senior Tour as well, so that’s three wins by Scottish golfers in the last two weeks.
“It’s no secret that Scottish golf has been down for a few years after Monty’s dominance. Now we have got a lot of good players. We just need to get up there and get experience and to have two wins in one week is obviously huge.”
From Glasgow although when in the UK these days he stays with his parents who moved to Upper Largo in Fife Laird went on a scholarship at the unfashionable outpost of Colorado State University.
Laird almost completely changed his style of game, settled in Arizona when he turned professional and stayed in the US when he qualified for the PGA Tour through the Nationwide Tour, in 2008.
Continued…