SCOT LAIRD LEADS BY FOUR
IN NATIONWIDE TOUR
EVENT IN GEORGIA
FORMER Scottish youths champion Martin Laird from Glasgow holds a four-stroke lead at the halfway stage of the $500,000 Athens Regional Foundation Classic, the seventh of 32 events on the United States' No 2 pro circuit, the Nationwide Tour, at Jennings Mills Country Club, Bogart in Georgia.
The 6ft 2in Laird, pictured right, followed up an opening round of 66 with a five-under-par 67 to maintain his overnight lead and move clear of the field at 11-under-par 133.
Laird, playing his second full season on the Nationwide Tour, fired the only bogey-free round in the second round. He made eight cuts in 19 events on the Nationwide Tour in 2005. He played on the Gateway Tour last year, winning the 2006 San Juan Open in earning $18,488 from 20 events. This year already on the Nationwide Tour he has made $19,691 from six outings.
Before turning pro in 2004, Laird, 24, spent four years on the American college circuit as a student at Colorado State University.
"The first two days, I've driven it really well," Laird said who tops the tournament driving statistics for length and fairways hit. "There are some long holes out here and if you don't hit good drives, some of the par 4s are trouble. It's definitely a lot easier game if you are hitting it long and down the middle."
Laird's four-stroke lead is the largest 36-hole lead on the Nationwide Tour in 2007. The only green Laird missed during his second round was his first hole. With 13 fairways hit and 17 of 18 greens in regulation, Laird's bogey-free round was relatively stress-free. "I hit a lot of good putts today that didn't go in," said Laird, who holds a second-round lead for the first time in his Nationwide Tour career.
"I said to my caddie walking in that I could have shot 9 under today without doing too much extra."
A total of 60 players with 36-hole totals of one-under-par 143 or better made the cut.
LEADING HALFWAY TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72). Players from US unless stated.
133 M Laird (Sco) 66 67.
137 M Carballo (Arg) 71 66, N Thompson 71 66.
138 D McKenzie (Wal) 70 68, H Haas 69 69, B Quackenbush 760 68, S Kendall 70 68, T Scherrer 69 69, S Jones 67 71.
Other totals:
139 R Johnson (Wal) 67 72.
143 K Nolan (Ire) 71 72, G Christian (Eng) 71 72.
The 6ft 2in Laird, pictured right, followed up an opening round of 66 with a five-under-par 67 to maintain his overnight lead and move clear of the field at 11-under-par 133.
Laird, playing his second full season on the Nationwide Tour, fired the only bogey-free round in the second round. He made eight cuts in 19 events on the Nationwide Tour in 2005. He played on the Gateway Tour last year, winning the 2006 San Juan Open in earning $18,488 from 20 events. This year already on the Nationwide Tour he has made $19,691 from six outings.
Before turning pro in 2004, Laird, 24, spent four years on the American college circuit as a student at Colorado State University.
"The first two days, I've driven it really well," Laird said who tops the tournament driving statistics for length and fairways hit. "There are some long holes out here and if you don't hit good drives, some of the par 4s are trouble. It's definitely a lot easier game if you are hitting it long and down the middle."
Laird's four-stroke lead is the largest 36-hole lead on the Nationwide Tour in 2007. The only green Laird missed during his second round was his first hole. With 13 fairways hit and 17 of 18 greens in regulation, Laird's bogey-free round was relatively stress-free. "I hit a lot of good putts today that didn't go in," said Laird, who holds a second-round lead for the first time in his Nationwide Tour career.
"I said to my caddie walking in that I could have shot 9 under today without doing too much extra."
A total of 60 players with 36-hole totals of one-under-par 143 or better made the cut.
LEADING HALFWAY TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72). Players from US unless stated.
133 M Laird (Sco) 66 67.
137 M Carballo (Arg) 71 66, N Thompson 71 66.
138 D McKenzie (Wal) 70 68, H Haas 69 69, B Quackenbush 760 68, S Kendall 70 68, T Scherrer 69 69, S Jones 67 71.
Other totals:
139 R Johnson (Wal) 67 72.
143 K Nolan (Ire) 71 72, G Christian (Eng) 71 72.
Labels: Pro Men
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Saturday, April 21, 2007
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