Lawrey-Laird double is a first

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March 29, 2011

It’s been a while since Scottish golf had something to shout about, but a unique double has changed all that.

It’s been a while since Scottish golf had something to shout about, but a unique double at the weekend has changed all that.

In Spain on Sunday, Paul Lawrey, Scotland’s most recent Open winner, but winless since 2002, edged out Swede Johan Edfors to win the he Open de Andalucia de Golf in Malaga, Spain, and half-a-dozen hours or so later fellow Scot Martin Laird held off the likes of Steve Marino and Justin Rose to claim the prestigious Arnold Palmer Invitational at Palmer’s famed Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Florida to complete a unique double..

Laird’s second US PGA Tour victory was, on it’s own, a history maker for he was the first Scot ever to have won the Bay Hill event, but more important, the twin triumphs of Laird and Lawrie gave Scotland a second, bigger first.

They were the first Scots ever to win titles on the US PGA and European Tours on the self same day.

Ken Brown and Sandy Lyle came closest to this double in 1987 when Brown won the Southern Open on the US PGA Tour and Lyle won the German Masters on The European Tour. but in this case the victories came a week apart..

With his victory Lawrie, the 1999 Open Champion, secured his place in the Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesin GC, Casares, Andalucia, in May. So too did Edfors on the strength of his second place finish in Malaga.

The European Tour’s official web site reported on Monday that the Scottish weekend of joy follows the recent launch of two major initiatives to nurture talent through Team Scottish Hydro and Scottish Golf Support Limited and comes on the back of Sandy Lyle’s victory two weeks ago on the European Senior Tour when he ended a 19 year wait for a title by winning the ISPS Handa Senior World Championship presented by Mission Hills China.

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