Martin Laird Leads ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic After R1

There's a particular kind of magic that settles over Myrtle Beach in May—the salt air mixing with the scent of freshly cut bermuda, the Atlantic breeze carrying just enough warmth to make everything feel possible. On Friday at Dunes Golf and Beach Club, Martin Laird found himself wrapped in that magic, riding a putter he'd barely broken in and a simplified mindset that finally let his talent breathe.

A Round Built on Rediscovered Trust

The 43-year-old Scotsman posted a 7-under 64 to take the solo lead at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, a round that contained an eagle at the par-5 15th, eight birdies, and only three bogeys. It's the kind of round that reminds you why we fall in love with this game in the first place—because on any given day, everything can suddenly click.

What made Laird's opening round particularly compelling wasn't just the score. It was how he got there. The man made eight putts from outside ten feet, the most he's ever converted in a single round on the PGA Tour. To put that in perspective, only three players in Tour history have made nine such putts in a round. Laird was knocking on that door all afternoon.

"I've not really been putting great for a while," Laird admitted after his round. "I feel like I've been telling people I'm playing better than my scores just because of my putting recently. It was nice to finally have a day where I made some putts."

The Switch That Changed Everything

Sometimes the solution to what ails us on the greens is mechanical. Sometimes it's mental. For Laird, it appears to be both. He switched to a low-torque putter to improve his start line, but more importantly, he changed his entire approach to reading greens.

"What I've been doing has not been working," he said, describing a new philosophy of quick, committed reads. On the first hole, he made a 12-footer by refusing to second-guess himself. "I had a quick look. Thought this is just going a little bit left and literally said to myself, don't go look anywhere else, just go now."

That putt dropped right in the heart. A 15-footer on the second hole followed. And suddenly, Laird was playing the kind of golf he'd been feeling capable of but unable to produce.

The Dunes Delivers

Dunes Golf and Beach Club, one of the Grand Strand's crown jewels, provided a welcoming stage for Laird's resurrection. The Robert Trent Jones Sr. design, which opened in 1948, has hosted everything from Senior Tour events to Golf Digest shootouts, and its mix of water, wind, and classic bunkering demands both precision and creativity.

Laird noted that conditions were kinder than expected, allowing players to attack pins they might otherwise have played conservatively toward. When the breaks fall your way on a layout like the Dunes, you take advantage—and Laird did exactly that.

History and the Road Ahead

This is Laird's 420th start on the PGA Tour, a number that speaks to remarkable longevity and perseverance. At 43, he's making only his second appearance of the season, with a T57 at the Puerto Rico Open his only other 2026 start. But veterans find ways, and Laird has found his way to the top of a leaderboard once again.

There's a caveat worth noting: Laird has held or co-held the first-round lead seven times in his career and converted none of those into victories. His best result from that position was a T2 at the 2012 Players Championship. History suggests caution, but golf history is made to be rewritten.

Key Takeaways

Laird leads by one after a 7-under 64 featuring an eagle, eight birdies, and 151 feet of made putts
A new putter and simplified reading process helped the Scotsman find his stroke at the perfect moment
The Dunes Golf and Beach Club continues to provide memorable tournament golf along the Grand Strand
At 420 career starts, Laird proves that persistence and self-awareness remain essential tools in a professional's kit