Jul 3, 2025; Silvis, Illinois, USA; Martin Laird strains up his putt on the ninth gap in the course of the first spherical of the John Deere Basic golf event. Necessary Credit score: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Pictures Scotland’s Martin Laird fired a 7-under-par 64 to take a one-stroke lead after the primary spherical of the Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Basic on Thursday.
The other-field occasion affords 300 FedEx Cup factors, a two-year PGA Tour exemption and a spot in subsequent week’s PGA Championship if not in any other case certified to the winner. The Truist Championship is happening concurrently in Charlotte, N.C.
England’s Aaron Rai, the second-highest ranked participant in the sector at No. 42, is one stroke behind at 6 below, tied with Japan’s Keita Nakajima. Mark Hubbard, John VanDerLaan and Paul Peterson all carded 5-under par 66s, whereas Brandt Snedeker heads a gaggle of 10 golfers tied at 4 below.
Laird, a four-time winner on the tour however winless for the reason that 2020 Shriners Hospitals for Youngsters Open, began on the again 9 and blistered it with a 6-under 30. That included an eagle on the par-5 fifteenth, the place he curled in a putt from 16 toes.
Laird bought to eight below after a birdie on the par-4 sixth, however gave it again with a bogey at No. 8.
The 43-year previous Laird not too long ago switched putters and noticed it pay dividends on the Dunes Golf and Beach Membership.
“I’ve not likely been placing nice for some time, I really feel like I have been telling individuals I am taking part in higher than my scores simply due to my placing not too long ago,” mentioned Laird. “It was good to lastly have a day the place I made some putts and began out making a pleasant 12-footer on the primary gap and doubtless a 15-footer on the second gap, and that sort of bought me going.”
Laird, who has been bouncing backwards and forwards between PGA and Korn Ferry Tour occasions, solely discovered on Monday that he bought into the event. He admitted to actually struggling the final a number of years and had ideas of giving up the weekly grind.
“When you’re my age and been doing it 20-odd years, you sort of begin considering, is it price it? I’ve had 4 weeks off, and my spouse was nice. We had been like, ‘Let’s decide. If you are going to maintain taking part in, let’s actually go for it.'”
Rai, who has already certified for subsequent week’s PGA Championship, couldn’t have began his spherical significantly better, recording birdies on the primary 4 holes. He had bogeys on two of the ultimate 4 front-nine holes, however performed a flawless again 9 with 4 birdies earlier than ending his spherical with a bogey.
“I heard lots of actually good issues the final two years,” mentioned Rai about taking part in in Myrtle Beach. “I watched the highlights when Chris Gotterup gained the primary yr and simply actually appreciated the way in which that it appeared. Yeah, it suits the schedule very well with taking part in forward of the PGA Championship subsequent week, so it was a extremely easy resolution to play.”
Nakajima recorded six birdies and no miscues on his spherical.
Brooks Koepka, essentially the most notable participant in the sector, shot a 3-under par 68 and is tied with 14 different golfers for seventeenth place.
–Area Stage Media
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