Martin Laird wins three-man play-off to win Shriners Hospitals for Children Open

Laird captured his fourth PGA Tour title and his first since 2013.

Jack Seddon's picture
Mon, 12 Oct 2020
Martin Laird wins three-man play-off to win Shriners Hospitals for Children Open

Martin Laird captured his fourth PGA Tour title after beating Matthew Wolff and Austin Cook in a three-man play-off to win the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

A bogey at his final hole slipped Laird into a play-off, matching the 23-under par score of Wolff and Cook, but the Scot made up for it with a birdie at the second extra hole to win the tournament for a second time, after previously winning it in 2009.

American duo Wolff and Cook both shot five-under par final rounds of 66 to book their place in the play-off, but missed birdie putts at the 18th and then the 17th, allowing Laird to capitalise with a birdie of his own to end his seven-year winless drought.

Laird produced one of the best shots of the year during his final round, when he managed to not only escape a plugged lie against the lip of a bunker, but hole it out for eagle to take a three-shot lead. Watch the incredible shot in the video below:

Laird started Sunday's round with a share of the lead alongside Patrick Cantlay, who was the favourite to go on and win the tournament given his love affair with TPC Summerlin, but Cantlay dropped out of contention and went on to shoot a 2-over par final round.

 

 

The 37-year-old made five consectuive pars to get his round underway, before back-to-back birdies were followed up with a bogey at the 8th, but Laird's incredible eagle at the 9th saw him make the turn at 3-under par to lead by three.

Laird bogeyed the 10th and found himself sharing the lead with Cook who made birdies at 12 and 13, whilst Wolff closed the gap as he hunted down the leaders.

Wolff drove the green at the par-4 15th which led to another birdie, whilst Cook recovered from a slip at the 16th to birdie the 17th and make par at the last to set the bar at 23-under par.

An eagle at the 16th for Wolff followed by two pars saw the 21-year-old join Cook at 23-under, whilst Laird's lead slipped with a bogey at the last.

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