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WGC ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIPFebruary 23, 2012Martin LairdMARANA, ARIZONA Q. Give us your thoughts on that. It was a tough match? MARTIN LAIRD: It was a hell of a game. It's about as good as I played in a while there. I needed all of it today to beat Matteo. He's one of those guys in match play that just never goes away, and that's a compliment. It doesn't matter how far ahead you think you're going to get. He just always make a long putt or chip it close or manage something. Q. In some ways it was like a classic match play match because you're never quite sure you've won the hole? MARTIN LAIRD: Exactly, no. And I said that to my caddie going down 11 after I just hit a 3‑iron in there to about 15 feet for eagle and he had to layup. I said to my caddie, this is definitely not one of those matches you can take anything for granted. He's going to get something done. I'm going to have to make my putt. I missed my 15‑footer, and I was kind of annoyed at myself because I knew he was going to make that 10‑footer on top of me for birdie. As I said, he's an awesome player. And it took all I've got there to beat him. Q. Many congratulations. That was a very dangerous opponent that you've put away there. MARTIN LAIRD: Yeah, I wasn't taking today lightly at all. I know how good he is. He's one of these players in match play that will just never go away. And that's a compliment in match play. He's a great putter and great wedge game. On the par‑5s you look like you've got him and then he ends up playing the par‑5s in 5‑under today, the four par‑5s. I'm obviously very happy to go through. Q. Step up in form today? MARTIN LAIRD: Yeah, I played really well today. I played good yesterday, but I made two or three kind of mistakes, wrong clubs. I didn't do any of that today. I just had one bad drive on one of the early holes in the desert; apart from that I played very solid. I didn't know how I managed to make eight birdies. Anytime you make eight birdies, obviously you're happy. Q. It looks like you're going to play Paul Lawrie tomorrow, which means a Scot is going to be through to the very late stages here, by definition. What are your thoughts about taking on Paul? MARTIN LAIRD: Yeah, you know, it's just the way the draw worked out.  It would have been good to see two of us through, but the way it's looking, if he manages to close out his match today it will be the two of us going after it tomorrow which will be good. Hopefully I'm the one going through, but if not, I'll be happy that there's another Scot in the quarter finals, for sure. Q. Do you know each other well? MARTIN LAIRD: Not too well. I played a couple practice rounds with him for the Scottish Open, I had a chat with him this week for five minutes. We don't know each other too well. I'm sure there won't be too much chatting going on tomorrow, either. Q. I guess as a young lad growing up in Scotland that would have coincided with his Open Championship victory. You must have celebrated that when that happened? MARTIN LAIRD: Yeah, I remember when he won The Open. I remember in that year, 1990, he came to a Scotland coaching session, and I would have been 17 then, he came to a session and had a talk to us and gave us little lessons and things. I remember looking up to him then thinking this is where I want to go, I want to be holding the trophy like he is. And it's kind of funny now I'm playing him tomorrow right here in Arizona. Q. It's the apprentice against the master then? MARTIN LAIRD: Exactly. As I said, he's been such a good European Tour player for so long. He's definitely one of the guys growing up I used to watch. I don't know how his match stands, but if it is the two of us tomorrow it will be fun. Q. He is looking good. As a final thought, just how excited are you about the way that the week is unfolding? MARTIN LAIRD: Yeah, you know, I feel‑‑ I like this golf course. I feel very comfortable with desert golf. I was disappointed last year, I played well and got beat by a better player on the day. So I've been looking forward to getting back here this year. I played well the first two rounds, and I had to. It doesn't really matter who you've got, when you've got the top 64 players in the world you've got to play good to win. My game is looking good and I'm looking forward to the rest of the week. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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