In 2004, Martin Laird earned the princely sum of $12,000 for his first tournament win as a professional, in the Denver Open.
Nowadays, it’s not unusual for Laird’s caddie to make that much in a week.
Laird, the former Colorado State University golfer, defends his title this week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which marks the biggest win of his career.
And what a career it’s been. Still in his 20s, and less than eight years removed from his days at CSU, Laird has won twice on the PGA Tour and finished second four times, including twice in playoffs. He’s currently ranked 36th in the world and 14th on the 2012 Tour money list.
“When I’m on, I feel like I’m about as good as anyone out here” on Tour, Laird told PGATour.com.
Plus, he’s developed into a human ATM over the last 2 1/2 years. During that time, he’s won more than $7 million in official money on the PGA Tour. In his last 62 Tour events, he’s averaged $114,156 per start.
This year, though he doesn’t yet have a win, it’s been more of the same. By the end of February, the 29-year-old Scotsman had already racked up more than $1 million in 2012 earnings. He’s finished in the top five twice, including his runner-up showing in the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
In other words, Laird is living the good life in his fifth year on the PGA Tour.
“Growing up as a kid, watching the PGA Tour is what I did,” he said. “There was something that drew me to want to play on the PGA Tour. This has obviously been a dream for me, and it couldn’t be any better.”
And Laird’s personal life is heading in the right direction as well. Last July in Steamboat Springs, he married the former Meagan Franks, daughter of Hank Franks, a former head professional at Haymaker Golf Course in Steamboat.
Like any good Scotsman, Laird wore a kilt for the wedding, as did many of his countrymen.
“They’ve definitely never seen so many white legs as they saw that day,” Laird said with a chuckle.
Even though he missed the cut in last week’s Transitions Championship, Laird understandably returns with a little pep in his step to Bay Hill in Orlando, Fla., home of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which begins Thursday (March 22). A year ago, Laird battled back from a three-stroke deficit with four holes remaining to post a one-shot victory over Steve Marino.
“It’s definitely the highlight of my career,” he said. “The way I won it, fighting back on Sunday, obviously is very special.
“… When you’re grinding away in the final round, at the time you’re not thinking about how fun it was. Looking back with the shots I hit and how I dug it out, it still brings a smile to my face thinking about it. It’s obviously very special.”
Afterward, Laird chatted a bit with Palmer, the tournament host, though the Scotsman admits he can’t recollect most of what was said.
“I said, ‘You’ve got a tough golf course out there,’ and he smiled and said, ‘Just the way I like it,'” Laird recalled. “To be honest, the 20 minutes after I won has turned into a bit of a blur. It all happened so fast. I wish I could remember the whole conversation I had with Mr. Palmer, but I really can’t.”
Nowadays, with a couple of Tour victories under his belt, Laird is looking to take the next step in his career.
“If I get better every year, I’ll eventually get to where I want to be,” he said. “So far, I’ve managed to do it. Hopefully that continues for the rest of my career.”
