Martin Laird Bio
Martin Charles Campbell Laird (born 29 December 1982) is a Scottish professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour. He has won four PGA Tour events in his career, most recently the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in 2020. Until Russell Knox earned his card via the 2011 Nationwide Tour, Laird was the only Scottish player on the PGA Tour.
A long hitter with a steady short game, Laird turned professional in 2004 and rose steadily through the development tours before claiming his first PGA Tour title in 2009. He became the first Scot to win a PGA Tour event in America since Sandy Lyle captured the 1988 Masters Tournament. He has since added three more PGA Tour victories, cementing his reputation as one of Scotland’s most successful modern professionals.
Early Life and Background
Martin Charles Campbell Laird was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on 29 December 1982. He grew up playing junior golf at Kirkintilloch Golf Club and later moved to Hilton Park Golf Club for his youth competition. Interestingly, Laird learned the game as a left-handed player before eventually switching to play right-handed, a transition that helped shape the rest of his career.
His cousin, David Weatherston, is a Scottish professional football player, giving the family a multi-sport background. Laird has been based in Scottsdale, Arizona, for much of his professional life, although he maintains close ties to his Scottish roots and has regularly returned home for events such as the Scottish Open and the Open Championship.
Path to Professional Golf
In 2000, at the age of 17, Laird moved to the United States with the assistance of College Prospects of America to take up a golf scholarship at Colorado State University, where he played for the Colorado State Rams in the Mountain West Conference. Over four seasons from 2000-01 to 2003-04, he won four individual college titles, including the Mountain West Conference Men’s Golf Championship in 2002, the El Diablo Intercollegiate in 2003, the Ping Golf Cougar Classic in 2003, and the Border Olympics in 2004. He earned three consecutive All-Mountain West Conference selections and graduated with a degree in marketing in 2004. In 2009, he was honored as a member of the Mountain West Men’s Golf 10th Anniversary Team.
Martin Laird Career
Early Career (2004-2007)
Laird turned professional in 2004 and won his second professional event, the Denver Open, earning $12,000. After a brief Nationwide Tour appearance that year, he qualified for the PGA Tour Qualifying School and earned conditional Nationwide Tour status for 2005. His first full Nationwide Tour season was difficult, with a best finish of tied 18th and earnings of $18,488 placing him 156th on the money list.
He rebounded in 2006, winning the San Juan Open and a Gateway Tour event at The Wigwam Golf Resort and Spa in Arizona, then regained full Nationwide status for 2007. That year, he captured the Athens Regional Foundation Classic in April, finished tied for third at the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship, and ended the year 13th on the money list, earning his PGA Tour card for 2008.
PGA Tour Breakthrough (2008-2009)
In his first full PGA Tour season in 2008, Laird survived a difficult campaign, finishing 125th on the money list by $11,504 ahead of Shane Bertsch to keep his card for 2009. His breakthrough came in October 2009, when he won the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in a three-man playoff, taking the $756,000 first prize. The victory made him the first Scot to win a PGA Tour event in America since Sandy Lyle’s 1988 Masters triumph and pushed his world ranking from 237 to 108.
Arnold Palmer Invitational Era (2010-2011)
Laird’s form continued to climb in 2010, highlighted by a runner-up finish at The Barclays, where he took a one-shot lead into the 72nd hole but three-putted and lost to Matt Kuchar in a playoff. The performance moved him into the world top 50 for the first time. On 27 March 2011, he claimed the biggest title of his career at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, two-putting from 83 feet on the final hole to win by one stroke and become the first European ever to capture the event. The win pushed his world ranking to a career-high 21. Later that year, he made his Masters debut, finishing tied for 20th.
Valero Texas Open and Shriners Return (2012-2020)
Laird added a runner-up finish at The Players Championship in May 2012, narrowly missing a playoff with winner Matt Kuchar. On 7 April 2013, he won the Valero Texas Open by two strokes over Rory McIlroy after firing a final-round 63, becoming the last player to qualify for that year’s Masters and ending a streak of 16 consecutive American winners on the PGA Tour. In October 2020, he returned to Las Vegas and won the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open for the second time, beating Matthew Wolff and Austin Cook with a birdie on the second playoff hole.
Driving Style and Strengths
Laird is a long hitter, ranking in the top 20 on the PGA Tour’s average driving distance statistic in 2009, 2010, and 2011. He is currently coached by Mark McCann, having previously worked with Randy Smith, and his game pairs power off the tee with reliable putting under pressure.
Notable Events and Milestones
His 2009 Shriners victory ended a 21-year wait for a Scottish PGA Tour winner in America, and his 2011 Arnold Palmer Invitational win made him the first European to claim that title. His 2013 Valero Texas Open victory ended a 16-event streak of American PGA Tour winners, and his 2020 Shriners playoff win over Matthew Wolff and Austin Cook reaffirmed his ability to perform on the biggest stages.
Martin Laird Career Wins
Across his career, Martin Laird has accumulated 8 professional victories, including 4 PGA Tour wins, 1 Korn Ferry Tour win, and 3 other professional victories. He holds a 2-2 record in PGA Tour playoffs, with wins at the 2009 and 2020 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and the 2011 Arnold Palmer Invitational and 2013 Valero Texas Open.
PGA Tour Highlights
His first PGA Tour title came at the 2009 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, and his most recent was the 2020 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, a tournament he has now won twice. In between, he captured the 2011 Arnold Palmer Invitational and the 2013 Valero Texas Open, both signature moments that elevated his standing on tour.
Other Wins and Performances
On the development tours, Laird won the 2007 Athens Regional Foundation Classic on the Nationwide Tour, the 2004 Denver Open early in his career, the 2006 San Juan Open, and a 2006 Gateway Tour event at The Wigwam Golf Resort and Spa in Arizona. He also posted top finishes in international events such as the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and the World Cup.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| PGA Tour | 4 | Verified | Verified |
| Korn Ferry Tour | 1 | Verified | Verified |
| Other Professional | 3 | Verified | Verified |
Martin Laird Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Martin Laird comes from a sporting family rooted in Glasgow, Scotland. His cousin, David Weatherston, is a Scottish professional football player, reflecting a household that valued athletic competition. Laird’s relocation to the United States at 17 to pursue college golf was a family-supported decision that helped launch his professional career.
Personal Life
Martin Laird married Meagan Franks on 31 July 2011. She is from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and is the daughter of golf professional Hank Franks. The couple has two children, and the family resides in Scottsdale, Arizona.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 PGA Tour season, Martin Laird continues to draw on the experience gained from more than two decades as a professional. With 4 PGA Tour wins and a career-high world ranking of 21, he remains a respected presence in the locker room and a steady competitor on major-championship courses.
Laird will look to leverage his longstanding distance advantage and his comfort on long, demanding layouts as he targets a return to the winner’s circle. His past success at events like the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, played at TPC Summerlin, suggests he is well-suited to similar scoring venues on the 2025 schedule.
With a settled base in Scottsdale and the continued guidance of coach Mark McCann, Laird’s outlook for 2025 centers on consistency, contention in signature events, and another shot at a fifth PGA Tour title. His playoff record of 2-2 underscores a comfort with high-pressure moments that should serve him well as the FedEx Cup race unfolds.
