Laird swoops with first-hole eagle but stumbles with ‘sloppy bogeys’
MARTIN LAIRD’S delight in starting his round with a first-hole eagle was short-lived on the opening day of the fog-delayed Genesis Open in California.
Laird split the immaculate Kikuyu-grass fairway with a 312-yard drive an then drilled a 7-iron second shot at the par five first hole of the Riviera course to just six feet to roll in the putt for a “2”.
However, the only Scot in the field was soon back to level par with dropped shots at the second and third holes before reinstating his two-under-par tally in holing a five-foot birdie putt and an eight-footer for birdie at the next.
Laird moved to a high of threeunder-par with a birdie at 10 but proceeded to bogey 12 and 15 and end his round with a one-under-par 70 just after 5pm local time and minutes before officials halted play due to poor light.
“It’s always nice to make an eagle on your very first hole and I can’t remember the last time I’ve done that,” he said. “Overall, I played alright but threw in a couple of sloppy bogeys ... like at two and three ... that didn’t make me too happy.
“Tee to green it was pretty solid there was about six putts that I hit right to the middle of the cup that for some reason just didn’t drop. Actually, my last four holes I either left it short right in the middle or just to the side, so a little more pace on my putts I could be standing here three or four under.
“But the thing with this golf course is you can makes bogeys. The nature of the grass here can leave you with tricky chip shots. Every time I play here at Riviera I always feel I can go really low but then I never do.”
Nearly 50 players in the 144-field failed to complete their first round and with the second round now under the threat of a very severe storm that is predicted to dump three to five inches on the greater Los Angeles area.
Sam Saunders, and the grandson to the late Arnold Palmer, made the most of his exemption into the event for a first occasion in snatching a two-shot leading cushion with a very impressive eight-under-par 64. Palmer won the event three times when it was then known at the LA Open and on a different course to this week’s host venue for the $7.2 million event.