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FRYS.COM OPEN

October 20, 2009

Martin Laird

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA

THE MODERATOR: Martin Laird, thanks for joining us for a few minutes here in the media center at the Frys.com Open. First obvious word is congratulations. Got that first big win out of the way last week. I know that that's a nice feeling, a big monkey off your back.
Just talk a little bit about the win last week and more or less how your life has been a little bit busier since Sunday afternoon.
MARTIN LAIRD: Oh, yeah, definitely been a little hectic since Sunday afternoon, but it's a problem, you know, you want. But, yeah, last week, you know, obviously it was an unbelievable week for me. You know, dream come true.
And now, you know, it's nice to see all the hard work you put in, you know, over however many years, because, you know, it's gotta -- this is the ultimatum goal in terms of, you know, winning on the PGA Tour. It's nice to see all the hard work payoff and be able to do it last week?
THE MODERATOR: What's been the reaction from your fellow players as well as family and friends? I'm sure your voicemail and your text boxes are full. What kind of reaction have you gotten both from players and your friends off the course.
MARTIN LAIRD: Yeah, everyone has been great. You know, I didn't turn on my phone for a couple hours after it was done. Then when I did, it was obviously going nuts for -- you know, pretty much is still. I woke up this morning and I had another bunch of messages. But it's been great. You know, people I've not talked to for a few years or don't even really follow the golf, right away I was getting messages from them back home.
You know, friends and family staying up -- I think it finished about half past one in the morning. You know, staying up all night and watching that. It's obviously been fantastic. It's nice to know that I had all that support out there and people were watching.
THE MODERATOR: What does this mean moving forward to this week? Obviously kind of a home game for you. What does it mean for you to be here this week with your local ties as a PGA Tour champion?
MARTIN LAIRD: They were talking about that last night because I've got a small group of friends and my mum and dad were over from Scotland , which was already planned. It kind of worked out perfect.
Had some people over last night and we were talking about that. Doesn't really get much better than winning the week before a tournament that's in your hometown where you live. Nice to be at home. As I said, see my mum and dad. I got to see friends.
I'm looking forward to this week. I came out here and played a couple practice rounds before I went to Vegas. I like this golf course. I played pretty well here last year. I'm not sure exactly where I finished, but I think maybe just outside the top 20.
I feel like obviously my game's been good for the last few months, and obviously kind of peaked last week. I'm hoping to go and have another good week here.

Q. How much different is the feeling going forward having qualified, having that pressure off? How different is it this week compared to last week?
MARTIN LAIRD: You know, I've not really thought about this week's tournament until about today. It's the first day I've come to the course. It's kind of weird. It's all so fresh. It's still, to be honest, not really sunk in, I don't think.
It's a little different now. My agent and I were talking about my schedule, and maybe I can go here. It's opened so many doors that maybe I can play other events, so obviously that's changed.
That's probably the biggest thing. Talking about maybe the HSBC in China. That's something that two weeks ago I hadn't even thought about and wouldn't have been able to tell you when it was. Obviously things like that have changed.

Q. Are you a little more relaxed? Do you feel the pressure is off you?
MARTIN LAIRD: Yeah, I mean, obviously I was -- I was 134 I think going into last week on the Money List. I was thinking about just getting to say, top 125 in the fall, but that was one thing I did well on Sunday. I was in such a good position to try and win that I did manage to -- I didn't think one time out there about top 125.
I knew if I just went out and played well that wasn't gonna be a problem. I had been playing so well all week that I was just gonna have to go out and try and win. I felt like if I did that, treated it like that, if I didn't win, the 125 would be taken care of.

Q. Besides obviously the comfort of having the exemption now, is there a lot you can take having played in the last group and having come through the playoff? What does that do for your confidence?
MARTIN LAIRD: Yeah, that's gonna give me a ton of confidence, because it was the first time I had really been in that position to win. I mean, in Reno I was in the second to last group. I think Roland was five or six shots ahead of me, so I really wasn't -- I was trying to win there, but wasn't really in the same position.
This was the first time I was in the final group, you know, one back of the lead with a real good chance to win. I think one of the reasons I played so well is I went out and I said to myself, It's your first time in this position. If you don't -- you know, very few guys will go out and win the first time they're in the final group.
If you don't do well recollect, don't take it too hard. It's a learning experience. That's kind of how I was gonna take it. I think that helped me not to go out there with thoughts that I have to win, I'm in this position.
I kind of just went out there and kind of tried to play like I did the first three days, and it all worked out.

Q. Did your surprise yourself?
MARTIN LAIRD: I was very surprised how calm I was actually. I was a little nervous on the first tee shot of the day. After that, I really was fine all day until about 16. It was when I knew it was right there. Couple of good swings coming in and the tournament could be mine. That was when I started to get a little nervous.
The amazing thing was, when I got in the playoff, I totally just calmed down. I don't know why it was. I was mostly nervous over my par putt on 18 again in the playoff.
But after that went in, when I went back to the tee I was first up, which worked out great. I don't know what came over me, but I felt totally calm in the playoff and I hit great shots on the three holes that we played.

Q. You've play a couple practice rounds here. How long have you lived here?
MARTIN LAIRD: I moved here in the start of 2005. I had never played Grayhawk until the tournament last year, which I've lived within two, three miles of it for four years and I'd never played it. And then I hadn't played it again until last week or a couple weeks ago.
I came out and played 18 holes one day and nine another day just trying to get familiar with the course. I like the layout. If you drive it good, you can get -- shoot a good number here. Yeah, that was it.

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