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WGC ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIPFebruary 22, 2012Martin LairdMARANA, ARIZONA Q. Tight match. Tell us about that second to the last. It certainly put the pressure on? MARTIN LAIRD: Yeah, you know, it was close ‑‑ I don't think it was more than 1 up all day. I got fortunate in the last. It was the perfect number for a 9‑iron, 160 yards. You are in Arizona, the ball goes a little farther. It was a perfect 9‑iron. I was comfortable over it. Q. How much pressure is it when a match is that tight and you know in one bad shot you are going home and one good shot you could be winning? MARTIN LAIRD: You know, with like four holes to go, I was kind of nervous almost. Not too bad but normally in the first round of a tournament, you are not out there with four holes to go. It's sudden death. Every game is a final. You have got to treat it like that anyway. So you know there is definitely ‑‑ especially coming down the stretch when one bad shot can cost you the match. Q. You obviously started your season in Hawaii with a second place. A little bit quiet since. How did you feel coming into this tournament? What about your form? MARTIN LAIRD: I started great in Hawaii, played good the next week also. And then another couple of bad tournaments. My couch flew in from South Africa. We worked Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and he sorted me out. Actually probably yesterday in the practice round is the best I've played in about a year, so I was excited to get out here today. It wasn't the long game that was the problem. My putting and reading the greens was a problem. We'll see about tomorrow. Q. I was calling your shot and I said a safe play, he's going for the middle of the green. Tell me about that great shot you hit? MARTIN LAIRD: I had a perfect number at 160 yards, which out here in the nice warm Arizona, it's a perfect 9‑iron for me. It was kind of fortunate that was the case because that's not a pin you want to be in between clubs. So that made it a little bit easier. I knew I had to take that aim and try to make a birdie to win the match. Q. All square going to 17. You had to make a nice up‑and‑down there to keep things close? MARTIN LAIRD: That was the first par I made all day. I missed ‑‑ well, the best shot I hit all day was probably on the par 3 before that. I hit it in there to about four or five feet and missed. I was over that one on 17 and I was thinking if there was ever a time to make a putt, it's right now. Luckily it went in. Q. Do you like match play? I think this is your second time in this event? MARTIN LAIRD: Yeah, I do. I love it. We don't play it very much. We'll play games on Tuesdays with our friends and practice rounds, but I obviously love it. It's fun. I think most of the guys you ask, they are all a fan of it just a couple of times a year. Q. Matteo Manassero is your next opponent. Have you played with him at all? Do you know him at all? MARTIN LAIRD: No, I have not. I remember we had dinner at the Open a few years ago, be you I don't know him really at all. I didn't know who won that match. I knew Webb was playing him, but I didn't know who won. So now I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Q. It's a bit of a tightrope, isn't it, this event? You've come out the right way. That must feel very good? MARTIN LAIRD: You know, it feels good. I didn't play my best today. Putted pretty poorly, but last year I played pretty well in the first round and got beat. So it's kind of a nice turnaround of events. That's all you have got to do in this event is beat the guy you are up against. Hopefully I can do that in the next few rounds. Q. Really tussle, wasn't it? MARTIN LAIRD: Yeah, it was I was never more than 1 up. Neither of us was spot on for our games but Alvaro had some typical unbelievable up‑and‑downs to keep the match tight. I'm happy to sneak through. Q. The mindset is obviously different this week, but the knowledge that if you can get on a good run can lay great foundations for an entire season? MARTIN LAIRD: Oh, yeah, definitely. This event is like ‑‑ it's good practice for the rest of the year. Every round is like a final round of a tournament. I was just saying I was almost a little nervous with a few holes to go because it was close and one bad shot you are done. If you go through a few rounds here and get confidence from that, you know, it should hold you in a good position in the rest of the year. Q. What are your feelings about the year ahead? You have had a couple of really good sort of momentum years and I suppose it's all and sustaining it now. MARTIN LAIRD: Last year was a career year for me and every year I have been on Tour, I have gotten better. That is just my goal. If I keep getting better, I will eventually get where I want to be. I keep working hard and don't settle for good years with one win. Try to get two wins, three wins. That's definitely something I'm going for. Q. The Ryder Cup question. A good week this week sends so many signals but it also has a huge impact as far as that's concerned? MARTIN LAIRD: Yeah, definitely. Go on and get through a match play tournament only proves a good point for the Ryder Cup as well as all the points available in the World Golf Championships events. That's obviously something that's very important to me. I'm going to try my hardest this year to get on there, but I'm not going to play every week and bust my gut too much. I think that would probably hurt. Just a few events in Europe this year, hopefully. And hopefully I'm playing good enough come September to be on the team. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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