New Game, New Thinking: Martin Laird profile

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Editor's note: As part of the New Game, New Thinking series, Martin Laird, one of 25 rookies on the PGA TOUR this season, recently spent some time with PGATOUR.com freelance writer Rudy Klancnik:

What were you doing when you turned 17? Doing some campus visits? Getting a job? Hanging with friends? Looking for girls? All of the above, you say? Nice work. If you were Martin Laird and you just turned 17, you would be packing up your worldly belongings and leaving your homeland of Scotland for a strange new country ... for good.

Martin Laird still loves his homeland, but the rookie PGA TOUR pro now loves Scottsdale, Ariz., as well. PGATOUR.com found Laird just minutes after practicing in the 115-degree Scottsdale afternoon blast furnace. Yeah, but it's a dry heat.

PGATOUR.com: You're pretty committed to your game if you're practicing in Scottsdale on a July afternoon. Or maybe you should be committed?

LAIRD: It's plenty hot, that's for sure. But the great thing about Scottsdale this time of year is that the courses are nearly empty, especially in the middle of the afternoon heat. Not many will brave the heat, which gives me the chance to roam around the course and get a lot of valuable practice in. And believe me, I need some good practice rounds right now.

PGATOUR.com: What are you working on right now?

LAIRD: A little bit of everything, which is never a good sign. I'm usually strong from tee to green, but I've never been a consistent putter. When I have success, I'm killing it off the tee and chipping the ball well. But my driver's been loose, and my short game needs some extra polish. I've had some good practice sessions, and I'm ready to put a good run together.

PGATOUR.com: OK, enough golf talk. Let's talk about you leaving your parents and sisters behind and heading to the Colonies.

LAIRD: It was a massive move for me. I had never been in the U.S. before, so it was a pretty big leap of faith. I came over to play golf at Colorado State, and I haven't left since. I moved from Colorado to Arizona four years ago, and I absolutely love it here.

PGATOUR.com: - Surely there was some homesickness going on.

LAIRD: - Of course, and it's still tough not being around my parents more often. They come over twice a year, and I'll go to Scotland a couple of times as well. But it's just not the same as having them around all the time. My sisters live in London, so I see them even less. It's been difficult, but I don't regret coming here at all. The opportunities here for a TOUR pro are a no-brainer. Better courses. Better competition. Better money. It's a good combination.

PGATOUR.com: What was the biggest adjustment when you reached Colorado State?

LAIRD: On the golf course, it was the fact that I hit the ball so low. I grew up playing in Scotland -- lots of wind and lots of links golf. My teammates freaked out when they saw me hammer the ball so low. I really struggled my freshman season because of it, too. The American courses took some getting used to. In a short time, though, I adjusted my game and started hitting the ball higher than anyone on the team. I went from one extreme to the other.

PGATOUR.com: That's a golf adjustment. What about lifestyle adjustments?

LAIRD: I was lucky that I found some good friends from the start, so that helped my adjustment. But it's still not home, you know? It's always felt comfortable, but never like my home feels.

PGATOUR.com: When you grow up in Scotland, is it a law that you must break 70 before you turn 13? Kids in Indiana must play hoops, and kids in Texas must play football. Makes sense that Scottish kids have to play golf.

LAIRD: Well, I did play golf from about the time I could walk, but the sport I really was into was rugby. I loved rugby and was pretty good at it. It even got to a point when I was about 15 that I had to finally choose which sport to pursue -- golf or rugby. It was an easy choice. Waking up in pain on a Monday morning (after a Sunday rugby match) wasn't fun at all. It got old fast. You never wake up on Monday after four rounds of golf with cleat marks all over your body. I obviously made the right decision.

PGATOUR.com: You've clearly been a sports enthusiast for a long time. Are you a fan of American sports teams, especially your new hometown teams?

LAIRD: I'm a huge fan of the Suns and basketball in general. I like football as well, so I follow the NFL pretty intensely. I've never liked baseball or hockey so I let those alone. But if I'm home and the Suns are in town, I try to be there. The team had a weird season last year with the Shaq trade sort of backfiring on the club. I like Shaq, but he's probably done. And Steve Nash is looking a bit old now. He's still great, but I'm not sure he's got a lot left. The team needs some fresh blood and fast. But I'm a fan regardless.