Martin Laird wins 2011 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Martin Laird carried a two-stroke lead into the final round and then posted a 3-over 75 to finish one stroke ahead of Steve Marino at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Laird’s rollercoaster final round included three birdies, four bogeys, a double bogey and a two putt for par from 86’ 11” on the final hole for the win.

Laird’s 75 is the highest finish by a winner at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The previous high was a 74, turned in by Dave Eichelberger (1980) and Mike Nicolette (1983).

Laird, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, becomes the first European winner of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He is just the fourth international-born player to win, joining South African Ernie Els (1998 and 2010), Australian Rod Pampling (2006) and Vijay Singh of Fiji (2007).

The win is the second of Laird’s career (2009 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open). It moves him to No. 4 in the current FedExCup standings.

Six-time Arnold Palmer Invitational champion Tiger Woods closed his round with a bogey on the par-3 17th hole and a double-bogey on the par-4 18th hole for an even-par 72. He finished T24, his 12th top-25 finish in 14 professional starts at the event.

Defending champion Ernie Els finished T70. Through 14 PGA TOUR events in 2011, the best finish by a defending champion has been a runner-up by Bill Haas, who lost in a playoff to Jhonattan Vegas at the Bob Hope Classic.

Vijay Singh, winner of the 2007 Arnold Palmer Invitational, missed his first cut in 18 career starts at the event.

Phil Mickelson finished T24

Sergio Garcia finished solo-eighth, his first top-10 finish since a fourth-place effort at the 2010 WGC-Accenture
Match Play Championship.