Martin Laird Takes Three-Shot Lead To Phoenix Open Finale’

By Les Bailey | Feb 1, 2015

Jan 31, 2015; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Martin Laird (right) after completing the 18th hole during the third round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

Thirty-Two year-old Scot, and Phoenix resident, Martin Laird will take to the first tee at the Waste Management Phoenix Open on Super Bowl Sunday, and try to win his fourth PGA Tour tournament. Laird has a three-shot lead, and tees it up with a pair of youngsters who are hungry for a 2015 victory, and a Masters champ who will be one group ahead. Martin Laird hasn’t won since the 2013 Valero Texas Open.

On a cool day at TPC Scottsdale where conditions were sloppy after the rain on Friday, Martin Laird was able to get into the clubhouse with a three under par 68 on his scorecard, and keep the overnight lead. The only thing that changed, were his closest followers.

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On Saturday, it was youngsters, Justin Thomas, and Daniel Berger who were chasing Laird for the lead, but on Sunday, it will be 22 year-old Hideki Matsuyama, and 23 year-old Brooks Koepka.

Justin Thomas, and Daniel Berger are a couple of big-hitting youngsters, and Laird will get another dose of long drivers on Sunday with Matsuyama, and the young American, Koepka.

"“I felt like an old man in the group,” Laird said. “It’s been a long time since I have been the first one hitting every shot every hole.”"

Matsuyama carded the low round of the day shooting an eight under par 63. The young Japanese Star, went bogey-free on the day, and made up 25 spots on the leaderboard. He made only thee birdies on the front nine, but got on a run that saw him birdie the last four holes.

Brooks Koepka had a slow front nine, carding only one bird, but like Matuyama, took full advantage of the backside where he made six. Koepka missed a birdie opportunity at the 18th that would have put him in sole second-place.

Brooks Koepka played on the European Tour in 2014, and on the strength of winning the Turkish Airlines Open during the Race To Dubai playoffs, and a great finish at the PGA Championship, earned his tour card, and will play at home this year.

He finished up his European Tour commitment at the Nedbank Challenge in December, and has taken some time to recuperate from hopping the globe. The Phoenix Open is his first start in 2015.

"“I had played so much over the last two years,” said Koepka, who turned pro in 2012. “I got a little tired of golf, tired of the travel. It’s been a long two years, but the break was good for me.”"

The Waste Management Phoenix Open is one of my favorite tournaments of the year. TPC Scottsdale is the one stop on the PGA Tour where fans are allowed to be fans, and the epicenter of the golf course is the par three 16th hole.

Italian, Francesco Molinari hit a pitching wedge to the 133 yard hole on Saturday that hit the green, took a sideways bounce, and rolled in the hole. The Ace brought a rain-storm of beer cans to the fairway, and could be heard as far away as the fourth hole.

“We all looked at each other and went, ‘Yep, there’s one.’ It was pretty obvious,” he said.

One of the big stories for the weekend, is an Arizona State Junior named Jon Rahm, who came within one shot of missing the cut on Friday as an amateur, but shot a five under 66 on Saturday to get into a tie for fith place, only four shots back.

The young Spaniard played alongside of Keegan Bradley, and Brandt Snedeker on Saturday, and wore a Pat Tillman ASU jersey at the sixthteenth hole with his nickname (Rahmbo). Pat Tillman was a graduate at Arizona State, who played in the NFL, and was killed in Afghanistan.

"“I’ve got to say I started really, really nervous because I was playing with two great players,” said Rahm, the world’s No. 3 amateur. “But after I hit the first shot on the fairway, I was absolutely satisfied with that. It kind of got me going, hitting the shots I hit on the first hole. After that I got a boost of confidence and I started playing great golf.”"

Source and Quotes Courtesy PGATour.com

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