Logjam at the top through the halfway mark of the Players Championship: Wrap-up Part-4
Continued from: Logjam at the top through the halfway mark of the Players Championship: Wrap-up Part-3
Laird made the turn with a birdie on the ninth, little aware that he will be losing all his hard-earned points on the closing holes of the back nine.
He dropped no fewer than four precious points on the last three holes on the back nine, which could have earned him an outright lead in the event.
He added, “I knew it was struggling. I caught it a couple of grooves low and it just wasn't really going through the wind like I wanted it to and then you heard someone from over there in the left in the stands, in the crowd shouting, "Get up" so then you
know you're in trouble, because they have the perfect view”.
Winner of four professional events with two coming on the PGA Tour, Laird won his last event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational last year and has since made some changes in his equipment as well as his caddie on the bag.
The conditions at the TPC Sawgrass remain the most unpredictable of all the PGA Tour courses and the leads have the tendency to evaporate in a blink of an eye.
Alex Cejka, the rampaging German who clinched an unprecedented five stroke lead in the year 2009, suffered a colossal fall in the third round when his lead vanished by the time he reached the fourth green.
It is a matter of mere few feet that a birdie may turn into a bogey and a bogey in a disastrous double-bogey.
Australian Adam Scott, one of the shining stars from the continent, has now worked up his way on the leaderboard, settling for a joint fifth, and right into the contention.
With an eagle on the 11th the previous day, Scott, however, was less impressive in the second round, pulling in a humble two-under, 70, gradually making his way to the top.
He said, “I did have the best warm-up and I didn't hit my best shots out on the golf course but managed to get it around. I'm playing fairly good”.
Within the striking distance from the leaders, Scott has the experienced Steve Williams on the bag, who comes in with loads of knowledge about the treacherous TPC Sawgrass, and holds elementary importance in the rise of Scott.
To be continued...
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