Newly-married Martin Laird celebrated his honeymoon with a superb display on the opening day of the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio.
With new wife, Meagan looking on, Laird produced a laser like showing with the driver around the tight tree-lined Firestone course to shoot a four-under par 66.
Newly married Martin Laird in a bunker at the ninth. (Photo - Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
Australia’s Adam Scott drained a 30-foot birdie putt at his penultimate hole in carding an eight under par 62 and break clear of fellow Aussie Jason Day in the $US 8.5m event.
Scott continues to benefit since switching to the long-handled putter and having Woods’ former caddy, Steve Williams on the bag.
Woods severed ties with Williams ahead of his return to competition this week while the 14-time Major Champion has also discarded the Kiwi head cover given to him as a gift by Williams.
Woods simply struggled all day with the driver managing to hit just five of 14 fairways in his first event since last May’s Players Championship.
Three Europeans, Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal, Dane Thomas Bjorn and Laird are already well placed sharing fourth place.
Laird is competing also in his first event since missing the halfway cut at The Open.
He was married last Saturday with some 140 guests, and many from his native Scotland, attending the reception held at Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
However Laird’s first day back at work was off to a poor start when he found a right greenside bunker some 60-feet from the flag at the par four, 14th he was playing as his fifth.
He then proceeded to three-putt from 20-feet for a double bogey six.
However to his enormous credit the current World No. 24 regrouped to hole a 12-footer for birdie at the next and make the turn at level par.
And despite not having played a competitive round since missing the cut at The Open, Laird reeled off four inward half birdies at his 11th and 13th holes before three birdies in succession from his 15th.
But Laird then slightly soured his round at what he described as his hardest Firestone hole when he found a greenside bunker, as he did a day before in practice, but then flew the green from where he missed a very testing eight-foot downhill par putt.
“Having played just nine holes last Friday before my wedding with friends since the British Open, I was curious to see how it would be this week,” said the Scot.
“I came out here on Tuesday and hit the ball great warming-up, and played great today.
“I was also very excited to get back out on the golf course and wasn’t burnt out, and felt really fresh out on the golf course.
“I had one messy hole for a double bogey and the big difference with the front nine compared to the back nine is that I made a bunch of putts on the back nine.
“If you are in the middle of the fairway around here makes a huge difference, so to be four under around this golf course is pretty pleasing.”
And among those PGA Tour players present at Laird’s wedding last Saturday in Steamboat Springs was Day and FedEx Cup front-runner, Nick Watney who posted a first round 65 to be in third place and one ahead of golf’s newest husband.
