Erin Hills, Wisconsin …..
Martin Laird pipped fellow Scot Russell Knox by just a shot on the opening day of the U.S. Open at Erin Hills.
Laird and Knox found themselves grouped for the first two rounds and with Laird signing for a level par 72 and Knox a 73.
Laird got off to a flyer birding his opening two holes to find his way straight onto the leaderboard.
At the first, he sent a 282-yard drive down the right and then laid-up some 85-yards short before landing a super wedge to eight feet and then holed the putt.
Laird was then just 20-yards short of driving the green at the 330-yard second from where he again chipped to six–feet to be two–under.
However, the Scot and contesting his 19th Major let slip his good start when he found one of the two nasty-looking bunkers guarding the front of the fourth green.
Richie Ramsay in discussion after his round with caddy “Ferret” and no doubt talking about ending with a double.
Laird steadied the ship with six pars and making the turn in one-under.
He then dropped a shot at 16 but made amends in brilliant manner holing a 12 footer at the par three, 16th.
“Anytime you can start two under in a U.S. Open you have to be happy”, he said.
“I hit some real nice shots out there this morning and overall it was really solid. I had just one three-putt and a couple of bogeys off downhill lies while I only missed a couple of fairways, and only missed two greens.
“So, something like that around here on this golf course in pretty good.
“It was also good to get finished as the wind was blowing real hard on 18 while the last three or four holes were getting tough like 14, and where I hit 3 iron off the tee and thinking that I had ripped it but it struggled to get to get to the fairway in the wind.
“The good thing also is that I was happy with my preparations but standing here now I am just happy as that was the best I have hit the ball for a long while so all goes well for the rest of the week”.
In contrast, Knox walked out of the scoring hut with his putter still in hand and singling out the shortest club in his bag as his main concern.
“I played well but made a couple of sloppy mistakes with three puts from nowhere that killed momentum,” he said.
“I think I played better than the one-over I shot, so it’s frustrating that my mistakes were unforced errors. It felt good overall, it drove it nicely, but my problem is putting. I’ve worked hard on it but it’s got worse!
“You can’t get away with missing short putts out here”.
And Knox was asked his thoughts in being drawn to contest the tournament alongside his fellow US-based compatriot.
“It was nice playing with Martin as I think we’ve only played practice rounds before”, said Knox.
“He got off to a slow start but played excellent coming in”.
And Knox was quizzed if Laird in any way was an influence in him making his own way onto the PGA Tour,
“I wouldn’t say he was an influence to me getting on to the PGA Tour because I didn’t know him when I was at college.
“But I think there’s something to it with two Scottish guys coming out here and making it all the way to the PGA Tour. I think it’s a good way to go.
“College golf in the US is very competitive and you get to play all year round. I can’t see why more people don’t do it to be honest.
“For me it was a no-brainer because it made me much better and I’d recommend it to anyone.
“We’ve never really discussed that before, but maybe I’ll bring it up tomorrow!”
Both Laird and Knox finished near lunch leaving Richie Ramsay out in the afternoon but walking from the course disappointed to double the last, and the downhill par three ninth hole, in a score of a one over par 73.
“I didn’t commit to one shot and it’s cost me for taking my foot off the gas,” he said.
“I massively frustrated because it was a waste. From having a wedge into the green I’ve made double and having spent the day hitting four irons and rescues in, I can’t hit a wedge from 20 feet.
“I should have played more aggressively but instead I just didn’t catch it and it ends up in trouble.”
