Old Westbury, Long Island, NY ..

Scotland’s Martin Laird had his hands full both on and on the golf course on day one of the Northern Trust at New York’s Long Island.

Laird was out in the afternoon half of the draw in the $US 7.85m event and after starting at the 10^th he raced onto the leader board thanks to birdies at his first and third holes.

He holed a putt of 13-feet at his first or the 10^th hole of the Glen Oaks course and then managed to sink at 10-footer at his third hole.

Martin Laird shoot s a 69 on day of the Northern Trust.

Laird dropped the only shot of his round at his seventh or the 16^th hole when his drive found the left rough from where was 65-feet shy of the green with his second ahead of taking three shots to get up-and-down for his bogey ‘5’.

Laird then proceeded to par his closing 11 holes in a rock-solid one-under par 69.

It left him trailing only five shots behind American Russell Hendley who heads the 120-player field by a shot on six-under par.

“I played really solid today and everything was very good and very pleased to be under par as the rough out there is very penal if you miss any of the fairways,” he said.

“All departments of my game were solid so I am delighted with one-under.

“The first time I saw the course I really liked it as it is amazing that no-one, and apart from Scott Brown, has been here before and no-one has really heard anything about the course.

“It is fantastic golf course with a Major Championship feel to it as it is big golf course with big trees lining the fairways and they could make this golf course as hard as they want.

“Though it is not a golf course where you are going to make says a whole lot of birdies as it’s not that type of a golf course, so the key is to minimize your mistakes that is really important.

“The key to my round was the first three holes on my back nine as I had three up-and-downs with one from a greenside bunker at the second or my 11^th hole and all for pars.”

After his round, Laird was met my his wife and two children and with the children certainly demanding dad’s attention and regardless of an excellent and solid start to his FedEx Cup Play-Off Series victory campaign.