Laird closes with eagle for share of four-way lead at Las Vegas

Martin Laird finds himself in four-way lead at the Shriners Hospital for Children Open after the second round.

Published : Oct 10, 2020 10:21 IST

Martin Laird watches his tee shot on the seventh hole on Friday in Las Vegas. - AP
Martin Laird watches his tee shot on the seventh hole on Friday in Las Vegas. - AP
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Martin Laird watches his tee shot on the seventh hole on Friday in Las Vegas. - AP

An eagle on his final hole secured former champion Martin Laird of Scotland a share of the four-way lead with Americans Patrick Cantlay, Austin Cook and Brian Harman after the second round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas on Friday.

Laird, who started on the back nine, had six birdies before a closing eagle for an eight-under-par 63 that brought him to 14 under on the week at TPC Summerlin and level with Cantlay (65), and with Cook (65) and Harman (63), who caught up in later action.

REPORT | ROUND ONE

After safely finding the fairway at the par-five ninth, Laird's five iron from 238 yards avoided a greenside bunker and hit the front edge of the green before rolling to three feet.

“Obviously I wasn't sure I could get that club there. I was just trying to hit out in front of the green and it came out really good and skipped up there to four feet,” Laird, who won the event in 2009, said of his approach shot at the last. “That was a nice way [to] finish what was overall a very good day.”

Harman harnessed a steady putt to deliver a flawless round with eight birdies, telling reporters he would work to keep the momentum going through the weekend.

“You got to get it pin high and get a lot of chances, and I'm holing a few,” said Harman.

Overnight leader Bryson DeChambeau, in his first tournament since his US Open triumph three weeks ago, finished the day one stroke back from the lead after carding a four-under-par 67, with two eagles, a birdie and a bogey.

 

Defending champion Kevin Na (66) was four shots back after a round in which he birdied four of his final seven holes.

Spaniard Sergio Garcia (64), James Hahn (66), Nate Lashley (67), Stewart Cink (63) and Wyndham Clark (63) were all two shots back of the leaders tied at 12-under-par headed into the weekend.

Garcia, who last week claimed his 11th PGA Tour victory after a drought of more than three years, enjoyed a bogey-free trip around TPC Summerlin that included an eagle from 111 yards out at the par-four sixth hole.

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