Kuchar profits as Laird implodes

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August 30, 2010

Scotland’s Martin Laird blew a five-shot lead before losing to Matt Kuchar in a play-off at The Barclays on Sunday.

Scotland’s Martin Laird squandered a five-shot lead to miss out on a second US Tour victory in The Barclays in New Jersey, the opening event of the lucrative FedEx Cup four-tournament play-off series.
Laird began the final round with a three-shot lead and soon extended that to five with birdies at the opening two holes at Ridgewood Country Club, only to then run up a double bogey seven on the third and bogey the fourth.
After reaching the turn in 36, one over par, the 27-year-old regrouped and birdied the 12th and 17th to take a one-shot lead to the 72nd hole, but he then three-putted there from 20 feet after charging his birdie attempt seven feet past.
That gave Laird a closing 71 and left him tied with American Matt Kuchar on 12 under par, Kuchar having set the clubhouse target after a sparkling final round of 66.
The pair returned to the par-four 18th for the first play-off hole and both missed the fairway off the tee, Kuchar to the left and Laird to the right.
However, Kuchar’s approach ran up the green and almost over the back before curling back toward the hole and eventually finishing just two feet from the cup.
Laird also found the green and this time two-putted for par, but it was not enough as Kuchar tapped in for birdie to claim the first prize of $1.35million.
“It’s obviously not the finish I would have like but I am very proud of the way I played today,” Laird said. “I was battling all day and I holed two or three big putts just to be where I was.
“I’m not too upset with my three putt on the last because I didn’t think I hit my first one too hard, I just had no idea how fast that putt was.
“The last thing I wanted to do was trickle it down there and leave it three feet short down the hill. I felt good and had just holed a bit putt on 17 and was just trying to stay calm.”
Luke Donald had been Laird’s closest challenger early on, the Englishman charging to the turn in just 28 with seven birdies – including six in a row from the first.
But after being told of his Ryder Cup wild card selection on the 10th hole, Donald came home in 40 for a round of 68 and a share of 15th place, a shot behind Tiger Woods and Paul Casey – Casey having missed out on a wild card pick from European captain Colin Montgomerie.

Collated final-round scores & totals (USA unless stated, par 71):
272 Matt Kuchar 68 69 69 66 (Matt Kuchar won at first playoff hole), Martin Laird (Sco) 69 67 65 71,
274 Steve Stricker 70 70 68 66, Kevin Streelman 72 63 71 68
275 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 68 74 69 64, Vaughn Taylor 65 70 71 69, Ryan Palmer 66 74 66 69, Jason Day (Aus) 67 67 70 71
276 Dustin Johnson 71 69 64 72, Adam Scott (Aus) 66 71 68 71, Heath Slocum 67 71 70 68
277 Tiger Woods 65 73 72 67, Ben Crane 67 70 73 67, Paul Casey (Eng) 69 69 70 69
278 Justin Rose (Eng) 72 69 65 72, John Senden (Aus) 67 69 70 72, Ian Poulter (Eng) 70 72 66 70, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 68 71 69 70, Luke Donald (Eng) 70 72 68 68, Stewart Cink 67 69 73 69
279 Retief Goosen (Rsa) 70 70 69 70, Zach Johnson 69 69 71 70, Brian Gay 66 72 71 70, Tim Petrovic 68 69 75 67, Chris Couch 67 72 72 68, D.J. Trahan 67 71 72 69
280 Charlie Wi (Kor) 69 70 69 72, Charley Hoffman 68 72 70 70, Ryuji Imada (Jpn) 72 65 70 73, J.P. Hayes 72 69 67 72
281 Hunter Mahan 70 71 69 71, Sean O’Hair 69 70 72 70, Davis Love III 67 74 72 68, Greg Chalmers (Aus) 70 71 69 71, Bubba Watson 71 70 70 70
282 Nick Watney 69 71 72 70, Michael Sim (Aus) 69 70 71 72, Webb Simpson 72 65 72 73, Kevin Na 72 69 69 72, Justin Leonard 71 71 71 69, Marc Leishman (Aus) 70 70 71 71, Bryce Molder 72 67 74 69, Rickie Fowler 71 70 67 74, Troy Matteson 71 69 70 72, Josh Teater 68 71 70 73, Stephen Ames (Can) 73 68 69 72
283 D.A. Points 70 70 72 71, Bill Haas 69 73 67 74, Robert Allenby (Aus) 73 67 74 69, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 69 68 71 75, Y.E. Yang (Kor) 73 67 74 69
284 Robert Garrigus 69 72 69 74, Andres Romero (Arg) 73 69 70 72, Jimmy Walker 68 74 71 71, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 70 71 71 72
285 Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 72 70 72 71, Rory McIlroy (NIrl) 68 74 71 72, Jeff Overton 68 73 73 71, Jonathan Byrd 67 72 75 71
286 Brian Davis (Eng) 72 70 75 69, Pat Perez 67 73 70 76, Chad Campbell 72 69 72 73, Matthew Jones (Aus) 72 70 70 74
287 Spencer Levin 72 69 73 73, Chad Collins 68 74 73 72, Camilo Villegas (Col) 67 74 71 75, David Duval 68 72 72 75
288 Kenny Perry 72 70 75 71, John Merrick 73 69 73 73, Scott Verplank 67 75 73 73
289 Ernie Els (Rsa) 71 71 73 74
291 J J Henry 68 73 77 73