How wonderfully typical of this thrillingly unpredictable sport that the man who ended American domination on the PGA Tour this year should prove to be a Scot who had spent most of the season struggling to hit a veritable cow’s backside with a golf club.
Fourteen events had produced 14 winners of Yankee persuasion until Martin Laird rediscovered the form that saw him claim the Arnold Palmer Invitational two years ago with a stunning final round 63 to win the Texas Open on Sunday.
Coming through the field with a fabulous last round is usually the easiest way to win golf tournaments, since the pressure is largely on the men who start out in front. But the measure of this victory should not be underestimated, since the 30-year-old, who is based in Arizona, knew that it was win or bust if he was to punch the last ticket into the field for the Masters.
Phenomenal: Martin Laird hit a course-record 63 to blitz the field, including a resurgent Rory McIlory Change in footwear: Laird was given a new pair of boots for winning More from Derek Lawrenson... DEREK LAWRENSON: Plucky Pepperell is well worth his salt after stellar show at Wentworth 27/05/13 World of Golf: Proof that the Rory rumour mill can drive any journalist mad... 20/05/13 Derek Lawrenson: Taming Sawgrass was a major sign Tiger is ready to add to his dynasty 13/05/13 DEREK LAWRENSON: Rock provides firm base for developing future English talent 06/05/13 DEREK LAWRENSON: Guan is a marvel at just 14... but shouldn't he be in school? 29/04/13 Derek Lawrenson: Just when the Ryder Cup heroes seemed to have gone missing... McDowell scrambles back to his best form 23/04/13 DEREK LAWRENSON: Scott told us he'd birdie the last... and he did! First Australian winner of Masters gives us a genuine Augusta fairytale 15/04/13 DEREK LAWRENSON: Major rethink sees Poulter joining rusty Rory in Texas 01/04/13 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE‘All week people had been coming up asking if I was playing at Augusta so it was always there in my mind,’ said Laird, who was born in Glasgow but has lived in America since his college days.
‘It hurt to have to tell them I wasn’t playing because competing in the majors is where you want to be.
'Now I am going, and to qualify in this manner makes this trip particularly satisfying.’
Fourteen straight winners at the start of the season was the best American streak since 1982, the year Laird was born.
With Rory McIlroy pushing him hard to claim second place and justify his decision to add the tournament to his schedule at the last minute, this proved the perfect warm-up week for UK golf.
All the attention at the Masters will inevitably fall on the Tigers and the Rorys, but Laird’s win underlines that the green jacket holder, like last year and the year before that, could well come from outside the ranks of the favourites.
Not once in eight previous starts this year had Laird managed so much as a top 30 finish to fall outside the world’s top 100, yet once the putts started dropping on the final day all the old winning feelings started to fall into place.
One week on from the upset at the Grand National, what price this sport’s imperial commanders are also put in the shade by a 66-1 outsider?
Exciting: Can tiger Woods recapture his Major form or will an outsider claim another victory at Augusta Rice proving a hit both on and off the courseQUOTE OF THE WEEK ‘Something tells me it is going to be a good week.’Hard not to echo the thoughts of American Dustin Johnson. At 6.45am yesterday around 1,000 people had already gathered outside the gates for the 8am opening at Augusta National, and that was simply for the first practice round.
Tickets for the first round proper on Thursday are reportedly changing hands at £750.
Yes, some gripping tournaments are staged before this annual rite of spring. But nothing ever gets close to the sense of anticipation before the Masters.
Sport and politics might be an uncomfortable fit on Wearside but here in the sedate world of golf they just laugh at the idea that the two shouldn’t mix.
One month after US president Barack Obama played golf with Tiger Woods, who should Phil Mickelson team up with for a practice round at Augusta on Sunday than former US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice.
‘She’s a phenomenal putter and one of my favourite people to be around, she’s so knowledgeable,’ gushed Mickelson afterwards.
Alongside financier Darla Moore, Rice became the club’s first woman member last August. All those wondering whether she would adopt a low profile for this, her first Masters since joining the club, had their answer as she rolled in a 40ft putt at the 18th and gave a nice fist pump, before wandering the grounds in her green jacket.
That’s something else sportsmen and politicians have in common. They’re never slow on the draw when it comes to a photo opportunity.
Smile: Condoleezza Rice has impressed Phil Mickelson with her attitude and golfing ability Mouthy Monty rules out EuropeansColin Montgomerie’s most prominent role these days might be as an analyst for Sky Sports at the majors, but one thing hasn’t changed. As throughout his long playing career, he continues to divide opinion.
But let’s say this in the controversial Scot’s favour: if the first rule of golf punditry is to at least express some strongly held views he can’t be faulted on that score.
Character: Colin Montgomerie is not one to keep his opinions to himselfDuring a conference call for the nation’s press last Friday, ahead of the Masters, he ruled out Lee Westwood’s chances, rubbished Rory McIlroy’s, opined that Tiger Woods had recaptured the fear factor, and named a quorum of eight players he believes the winner will come from (for the record, their surnames were Woods, Kuchar, Snedeker, Oosthuizen, Johnson, Mickelson, Bradley and— the only European — Rose).
No-one could lump Montgomerie (left) in with those vanilla commentators petrified of causing offence, could they?
Prove him wrong? Montgomerie has dismissed the chances of McIlroy after his poor start to the season More... Clarke ruled out of The Masters at Augusta with hamstring injury picked up on holiday Augusta FINALLY breaks with tradition as former US Secretary of State Rice becomes first female to wear famous Green Jacket Ryder Cup winning captain Olazabal leaves fan in bloody mess at Augusta after accidentally striking him with golf ball
