Hilton Head, SC …
Martin Laird only recorded two birdies in a two under par 69 but he was more pleased not to have dropped a shot heading to day two of the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head in South Carolina.
The Scot returned to competition after a three-week absence and spent mostly with his young family.
Laird, who played in the company of Ian Poutler, collected birdies at the par five second hole where he two-putted from 36-feet and then at the par four eighth hole where he sank a 21-footer.
Laird then recorded 10 straight pars including what he said was an importance save for par at the iconic 18th hole where his approach came to rest on a mound pin-high to the right of the flag from where he chipped to just under two feet and on a Harbor Town course where some 350 trees were brought down last October due to Hurricane Matthew.
Martin Laird signs for his young fans on day one of the RBC Heritage Classic at Hilton Head
“I played really nice today and anytime you have no bogeys around this golf course you have be delighted as I hit the ball well and while I didn’t make too many putts I felt like I gave myself so many chances,” he said.
“But then among the 16 pars I had a bunch of chances for birdie though you have to pick your spots around here even though you might be a good distance from the hole.
“What was important for me was not to bogey the last as I really wanted to get up-and-down so much from where I was.
“So, I felt I played nice and now looking forward to the rest of the week.”
Laird competed in finishing T49th in the Arnold Palmer Invitational and along with this week he will also contest next week’s Valero Texas Open, and an event he captured in 2013 that helped him earn the then last invitation into the Masters.
And while excited to watched coverage of last Sunday’s thrilling conclusion to the Masters, Laird worked hard in his three weeks off on his game.
“I needed to do some practice as when you are playing in tournaments I do not really undertake that much practice, so after taking the first week off I got right into my practice and hitting a lot of golf balls,” he said.
“My game was still fine but it was not quite as sharp as I would like to.
“I also played few times last week when we got back to Charlotte and was hitting the ball, so I was looking forward to getting down here to Hilton Head and I am happy with my start.
“So, on top of having played well here before I have San Antonio next week where I won a few years back so that will be nice again returning there before a week off and then heading to Wilmington for the Wells Fargo and also The Players so it is a nice little run ahead for me.”
Russell Knox’s round was very much like Laird’s with two birdies, a bogey and 15 pars in his one-under par 70.
Knox, who had teed off from the 1oth hole, was one-over through five holes before birdies at his 11th hole and then at the last, the short par four ninth hole where he hit a 221-yard fairway wood to within 110-yards of the flag and then landed his second to six feet for birdie.
American Bud Cauley signed for an eight under par 63 to lead the $US 6.3m event.
