LAIRD LONG WAY BEHIND IN
NZ PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Martin Laird, the former Scottish youths amateur champion from Glasgow, survived the second-round cut in the New Zealand PGA championship but is well down the field with one round to go at Clearwater Resort, Christchurch.
In a tournament interrupted first by rain and then by 20 to 25mph winds, Martin has had rounds of 71, 75 and 75 for 221 - 11 shots behind the leader, Ryan Howison who has scored 65, 75 and 70.
Howison is one of six North Americans in the leading eight after 54 holes.
In the third round, Laird reached the turn in level par 36 with a bogey at the eighth and a birdie at the short ninth but he lost his way over the next three holes with bogeys at the 10th, 11th and 12th. He got one back with a birdie 4 at the long 14th but promptly gave it back again with a bogey at the 16th.
He was back in 39 for a 75.
LEADERBOARD
Par 216 (3 x 72)
210 Ryan Howison (US) 65 75 70.
211 James Nitties (NZ) 69 70 72.
212 Nicholas Thompson (US) 69 73 70, David Morland (Can) 70 72 70, Lee Williamson (US) 70 69 73, Sal Spallone (US) 69 68 75, Peter Senior (Aus) 66 75 71, Mark Brown (US) 71 75 76.
Other score:
221 Martin Laird (Sco) 71 75 75.