Laird narrowly misses second PGA Tour win

Jonathan Byrd hole-in-one dashes Scot’s hopes of title defence

Scotland’s Martin Laird came within a shot of defending his Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open title in Las Vegas but had to settle for second after a sensational ace by Jonathan Byrd on the fourth play-off hole.

Darkness was quickly descending when Byrd, Laird and Cameron Percy, all joint on 21-under-par, decided to play one final hole. Byrd stepped onto the 17th tee first and, amazingly, holed his shot of 204 yards to earn victory.

Just one hole earlier, the American has narrowly avoided putting his ball in a greenside water hazard, before getting up and down for par, while Laird missed a 12-footer, which would have clinched his second PGA Tour win. The 27-year-old Scot was also left ruing makeable putts on the first and second play-off holes.

“You can’t ever prepare for a hole-in-one,” said Laird, who now stands at No.55 on the Official Golf World Rankings and 35th on the PGA Tour’s money list.

“He hit a great shot. It was going to take something special to win it the way we were all playing, and it certainly did.”

After securing a cheque for more than $770,000, Byrd, who birdied three of the last four holes in regulation play, said: “I hit it just perfect – for it to go in, that’s just luck. I didn’t see it. I’m in shock.

“I kept preaching to myself all day, ‘hang in there’. What an unbelievable day. It’s hard to process because I’m still in shock.”

Bryce Ritchie is the Editor of bunkered and, in addition to leading on content and strategy, oversees all aspects of the brand. The first full-time journalist employed by bunkered, he joined the company in 2001 and has been editor since 2009. A member of Balfron Golfing Society, he currently plays off nine and once got a lesson from Justin Thomas’ dad.

Editor of bunkered