Laird builds two-stroke lead at Bay Hill
ORLANDO, Fla. – Martin Laird ran off three straight birdies from the fourth to the sixth holes and built a four-stroke lead during the third round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club & Lodge. After a couple of bumps in the road arose with bogeys at Nos. 14 and 15 he fell into a tie for the lead with playing partner Spencer Levin. But, he righted the ship by adding a birdie at the 16th, to a great bogey for Levin, and ended the round at 11-under 205 and will take a two-stroke advantage into Sunday.Laird, who counts a win in Las Vegas in 2009 as his only on tour, will try to add to that on Sunday in conditions that are predicted to produce 30 mile-an-hour winds. If recent form is an indicator, he has finished in the top-10 in his last two starts and has three on the season, Laird appears to be in good shape with 18 holes to play.
“I said after I won, I believed that I was good enough to win, but I actually really didn't know it,” Laird said. “I mean, you really don't know it until you do it.
“Obviously I got a lot of confidence out of winning in Vegas. Especially the way I did it, holing a nice putt on the last hole just to get in a playoff and then winning on I think the third playoff hole.
“But yeah, it's it tough. Even after I won, I've had three or four chances where I've had really good chances to win and not done it. You know, it's tough. You ask anyone; it's very, very tough to win a golf tournament. Doesn't matter where it is. And you know, I know that going into tomorrow.”
Levin, in his third year on tour, has yet to win. Like Laird, he is in good form as he chases that first trophy. In nine starts this season he has five top-25s, two of which were top-10s, including a playoff loss at the end of February in Mexico.
“I had it going there,” said Levin after his third-round 71. “Martin was playing good, too. He got off to a really good start, and I looked at the board and kind of knew that it was -- obviously if I could kind of keep it close to him, because he was leading the tournament, I would have a chance tomorrow, and I was able to do that somewhat.
“So, yeah, I was pleased with my round. I had a putt I think to take the lead on 15 and missed it. And then a two-shot swing on 16. That stretch there wasn't great but I was still in the game for tomorrow.”
With the strong breezes in the forecast there are a number of players still in the mix. They include Bubba Watson and Steve Marino, both at 7-under, and David Toms and Rickie Fowler five back at minus-6.
Marc Leishman, Trevor Immelman, John Senden and Charles Howell III are still in with a chance at 5-under and six off the pace.
Tiger Woods had it to 4-under for the tournament during his round, but a couple of splashes on his way in led to a 2-over 74 that left him at 1-under overall and tied for 29th.
A few players are chasing more than just a trophy in this event, as the winner also gets an invite to the Masters Tournament to be played in two weeks in Augusta, Georgia. One player not already in that field is Levin, and he is keenly aware of the added bonus a victory would bring.
“I was playing with (Geoff) Ogilvy the last two rounds at Tampa last week,” Levin explained. “I said, ‘Are you going to the Masters?’ He said, ‘Yeah, I’m taking a couple of weeks off.’
“He’s like, ‘How ‘bout you?’ I said, ‘I’ve got two, four round one spot qualifiers.’ So that’s about it. (Sunday) is just a one spot qualifier for the Masters.”
A spot that will make his first victory all the sweeter.
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