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Martin Laird: 2021 FedEx Cup Contender or Pretender?

By Tim Letcher

RIO GRANDE, PUERTO RICO - FEBRUARY 23: Martin Laird of Scotland plays his shot from the seventh tee during the final round of the Puerto Rico Open at Grand Reserve Country Club on February 23, 2020 in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
RIO GRANDE, PUERTO RICO - FEBRUARY 23: Martin Laird of Scotland plays his shot from the seventh tee during the final round of the Puerto Rico Open at Grand Reserve Country Club on February 23, 2020 in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Martin Laird won for the fourth time in his PGA Tour career this season. Can he ride that momentum to a big finish in the FedEx Cup?

With the 2020 portion of the PGA Tour schedule in the books, we at Pro Golf Now will be taking a look at the current top 50, and some selected others, in the current FedEx Cup standings and whether they are contenders or pretenders for the 2021 FedEx Cup. Our latest subject is the current No. 12, Martin Laird.

Best career FedEx Cup finish: Laird has been on the PGA Tour now for 13 years. He has been able to make the playoffs in all but three of those seasons. His best finish came in his third year on tour, in 2010. That season, Laird made his only trip to East Lake for the Tour Championship and was able to finish the season in 11th place.

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So far this season: The 2020-21 season got off to a rough start for Laird. His first event was the Safeway Open, where he shot 68 on Thursday and followed that with a 75 on Friday. He missed the cut in that event.

Two weeks later, Laird played at the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship. He shot 69 on Thursday and followed that with a 69 on Friday. But his weekend did not go as well, as Laird had a 73 on Saturday and a 75 on Sunday. He finished that event in a tie for 65th place.

The following week, Laird played better. At the Sanderson Farms Championship, Laird shot 68 on Thursday and 69 on Friday. He had a 72 on Saturday to slip back a bit, but he shot 70 on Sunday and finished in a tie for 28th place.

Just one week later, Laird had one of the best weeks he’s ever had on the PGA Tour.

Laird opened the event with a 65 and was just two shots off the lead after 18 holes. He came back with a 63 on Friday to share the 36-hole lead. Laird shot 65 on Saturday to take the lead into the final 18 holes. After shooting 68 on Sunday, Laird found himself in a three-way playoff with Austin Cook and Matthew Wolff.

On the first playoff hole, all three players recorded pars. But on the second playoff hole, the par-3 17th hole, Laird knocked in a birdie for the win, the fourth of his PGA Tour career.

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Laird played in two more events near the end of 2020. He missed the cut at both the Houston Open and the RSM Classic.

The verdict: Laird has never made a serious run at the FedEx Cup, and he won’t this year either. Consider him a pretender for the 2021 FedEx Cup.

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