Scotland's Laird out to emulate Zoeller as first-time winner at Augusta

Scotland's Laird out to emulate Zoeller as first-time winner at Augusta

Rather appropriately for the man who has just breathed life into the creeping corpse that was professional Scottish golf, Martin Laird does not accept the notion that as an Augusta debutant his Masters challenge is terminally destined to Martin Laird Also Hold American Dream be pushing up the azaleas.Why not do a Fuzzy Zoeller and become the first first-timer to don the Green Jacket in 32 years? After all, last Sunday he did a Sandy Lyle, by winning his second event on the PGA Tour after decades of Tartan failure in the United States. Seven days on from having his hand clasped by Arnold Palmer at the back of Bay Hill's 18th green, the 28-year-old is still trying to take it all in. The reaction, as he says in an accent part-Taggart, part-Miami Vice, has been "a wee bit awesome"."I had so many messages from family, friends, from people from home I hadn't heard from in years," he said. "The phone didn't stop until Wednesday. Although there were some very special ones, nothing topped meeting Mr Palmer like that. It was the first time I'd ever spoken to him. It can't get much better."