Orlando, FL …
Scotland’s Martin Laird has again ruled himself out of Ryder Cup selection in electing not to join the European Tour.
Laird, and a three-time PGA Tour winner including having captured this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2011, has never pulled on the European Team colours in either the Ryder Cup, the EurAsia Cup or made himself eligible for the now defunct Seve Trophy.
He did though represent Scotland in the 2011 and 2013 World Cup.
In his now 14-years in the pro-ranks Laird has contested 40 European Tour events with his best finishes being a pair of fifths back home in Scoland.
Laird was fifth behind Martin Kaymer in the 2010 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St. Andrews while he secured a similar result three years later at the 2013 Scottish Open at Castle Stuart, and the year Phil Mickelson claimed the ‘Scottish double’.
Scotland’s Martin Laird again rules himself out of European Team Ryder Cup selection. (Photo @tourmiss)
In that period, the most European Tour counting events Laird contested was 10 in 2012 but in checking the records for that season, the Scot played just four on European soil.
Also, you could ask why would Laird become a European Tour member given he’s banked some $US 16m in his PGA Tour career.
And while he’s won more PGA Tour events than any other Scot presently competing in the States, and there’s only the one other in Russell Knox with two successes, Laird’s prorities have changed greatly.
It was in 2000, and at age 17, Laird moved to the States to take-up a golf scholarship at Colorado State University and he really has never looked back.
Four months after capturing the 2011 Arnold Palmer Invitational and his second Tour success, he married Colorado-born Meagan Franks and the daughter of fellow golf pro, Hank Franks.
Martin Laird and family – Wife Meagan, Son Jack and daughter Hannah. (Photo – www..martinlaird.com)
Laird also is now the father of two boys, Andrew and Jack and they’re clearly now his off-course priorities.
“My expectations this year like any year are individual performance related goals,” he said ahead of teeing off at Bay Hill in the $8.9m Arnold Palmer Invitational in suburban Orlando.
“I don’t set myself goals such as World Rankings, the Ryder Cup or winning golf tournaments because if I can achieve those performance goals then that should take care of everything else that comes with playing well.
“Of course, I want to play as well as I can all year and if I can achieve my goals then it will be a good year.
“So, to be chatting about making the European Ryder Cup team would have to be a goal and as I mentioned, I don’t set such goals.
“Besides, I am not a member of the European Tour so I can’t even qualify for the team.
“I know Jon Rahm has joined the Tour and I see Paul Casey has rejonied but I won’t be joining.
“What I am looking forward most is travelling with the family to the tournaments I contest and the two boys are good travellers now and enjoy being out here on the Tour.
“So, therein lies my priority again this year and that’s travelling the PGA Tour and hanging out with the family.”
