Martin Laird shot a 7-under 64, tying his personal best with nine birdies to take a one-shot lead at the Myrtle Beach Classic, the report says.
Laird only learned he was in the field Monday and Thursday’s round marked just his second PGA Tour start of the year, the report says. The 43-year-old has four PGA Tour victories, his last coming in Las Vegas in the fall of 2020, and he got into this event when Andrew Putnam accepted a special invitation to the PGA Championship and withdrew, the report says.
The report says Laird has been alternating between the Korn Ferry Tour and the occasional PGA Tour event, with his only other start this year coming at the Puerto Rico Open where he tied for 57th. Laird called the opportunity “a huge opportunity” and said any chance to play on the PGA Tour at his age is “still great,” adding that bouncing back and forth can be difficult because “you don’t really know where you’re going and what run you’re going to have.”
The strong opening round came at a rain-softened Dunes Golf and Beach Club and was aided by a switch to a zero-torque putter and trusting his first read, the report says. Laird made eight putts from more than 10 feet, one short of the ShotLink-era record, per the report.
Aaron Rai and former No. 1 amateur Keita Nakajima were a shot back at 65, the report says. John VanDerLaan, Paul Peterson and Mark Hubbard were at 68, while Presidents Cup captain Brandt Snedeker was in a large group at 67 that included Ryan Ruffels. Brooks Koepka was tied for 17th at 3 under, the report says.
The report notes the winner receives entry into the PGA Championship if not already eligible, though Laird said that prospect is too far off to consider after only one round and that it has been five years since he last played in a major.
