Scot beats cut in bid to retain 2009 playing rights

Martin Laird lying joint 13th as he

clears first US PGA Tour hurdle

Martin Laird, 126th in the US PGA Tour money table, needs to improve to 125th position at the end of the current tournament, the Childen's Miracle Network Classic at Lake Buena Vista, Florida, to retain his playing rights for the 2009 season.So far so good over Disney's Magnolia and Palm courses for the Scot. He has had rounds of 68 and 66 for 10-under-par 134 and is lying joint 13th behind three-shot leader Scott Verplank (a pair of 64s for 128).

But the "bad news" for Laird is that the man who is in 125th position in the money table, Jeff Overton, has also made the cut and is only one shot behind him going into the weekend's final 36 holes. Of course, both Overton and Laird could leapfrog over the players immediately ahead of them in the money order.

LEADING TWO-ROUND TOTALS

Par 144 (2 x 72)

128 S Verplank 64 64.

131 S Marino 65 66, T Matteson 63 68.
132 R Gamez 65 67, T Tidings 66 66, R Garrigus 65 67.
133 J Gore 66 67, K Streelman 64 69, T Pernice jun 66 67, B Estes 70 63, S Sterling 70 63.
134 M Laird (Sco) 68 66, B Van Pelt 68 66, T Gainey 68 66, T Petrovic 67 67, T Wilkinson 68 66.
Other score:
135 J Overton 67 68 (jt 19th).
MISSED THE CUT
140 B Davis (Eng) 72 68.
142 K Ferrie (Eng) 72 70, R Johnson (Wales) 75 67.