Laird blows five shot lead in New Jersey

Scotland's Martin Laird squandered a five-shot lead to miss out on a second US Tour victory in The Barclays in New Jersey, the opening event of the lucrative FedEx Cup play-off series.

Laird began the final round with a three-shot lead and soon extended that to five with birdies at the opening two holes at Ridgewood Country Club, only to then run up a double bogey seven on the third and bogey the fourth.

After reaching the turn in 36, one over par, the 27-year-old regrouped and birdied the 12th and 17th to take a one-shot lead to the 72nd hole, but then three-putted from 20 feet after charging his birdie attempt seven feet past.

That gave Laird a closing 71 and left him tied with American Matt Kuchar on 12 under par, Kuchar having set the clubhouse target after a final round of 66.

The pair returned to the par-four 18th for the first play-off hole and both missed the fairway off the tee, Kuchar to the left and Laird to the right.

However, Kuchar's approach ran up the green and almost over the back before curling back toward the hole and eventually finishing just two feet from the cup.

Laird also found the green and this time two-putted for par, but it was not enough as Kuchar tapped in for birdie to claim the first prize of $1.35million.

'It's obviously not the finish I would have like but I am very proud of the way I played today,' Laird said. 'I was battling all day and I holed two or three big putts just to be where I was.

'I'm not too upset with my three putt on the last because I didn't think I hit my first one too hard, I just had no idea how fast that putt was.

'The last thing I wanted to do was trickle it down there and leave it three feet short down the hill. I felt good and had just holed a bit putt on 17 and was just trying to stay calm.'

Luke Donald had been Laird's closest challenger early on, the Englishman charging to the turn in just 28 with seven birdies - including six in a row from the first.

But after being told of his Ryder Cup wild card selection on the 10th hole, Donald came home in 40 for a round of 68 and a share of 15th place, a shot behind Tiger Woods and Paul Casey - Casey having missed out on a wild card pick from European captain Colin Montgomerie.