Martin Laird will be the first to admit that his results in the major championships have been far from dazzling.
While the Glasgow man has sparkled on the PGA Tour with three polished victories in four years, his record in the big four could do with a bit of buffing up. If only golf was as easy as applying some Brasso to a lint-free cloth and rubbing to a shine.
In the 14 majors Laird has contested, he has made the cut in just five and his highest finish to date was a share of 20th on his Masters debut in 2011. Next week, the 30-year-old heads to Merion to contest the US Open, a championship he has made an early exit from in each of his four previous appearances. On an otherwise impressive report card, Laird knows it is a case of could do better and the former Scottish Youths' champion is keen to stop playing a minor role on the major stage.
"I wouldn't say winning a major is something I have to do but it's definitely something I want," said Laird, who propelled himself back up to the fringes of the world's top 50 with victory in April's Valero Texas Open. "I want to get into contention more in the majors. That's the one thing I'm aiming for.
"I'm not going to be greedy and say I want to win one in the next year or two but I want to get in the mix, start being up there more and get the feeling of what it's like being there on Sunday in a tournament like the Open, US Open or whatever one it is. I definitely feel like I'm good enough to win a major championship.
"It's just a question of getting everything clicking in the right week, getting your short game right, hitting the ball well; you need everything to win a major."
One thing Laird has been working on is his iron game. The tweaks to the swing that were made over the winter are beginning to bed in and, on a relatively short and tight Merion course where accuracy will be the watchword, the Charlotte-based Scot is hoping it bears fruit.
"In terms of the swing changes, I'm really at the stage where I'm not thinking about them any more, I'm just playing golf," added Laird, who will be joined in the US Open field by countrymen Paul Lawrie, Chris Doak and the latest qualifier, Russell Knox. "I really noticed that last week at Muirfield Village [The Memorial tournament], shaping the ball in the wind without having to go through technical thoughts to get there. That's why I'm really excited about the next few weeks because my iron game really has come round."
While Laird's swing has had something of an overhaul, he is adamant that the recently announced ban on anchored putters won't require him to perform any major surgery on his putting stroke. The new rule will come into force at the start of 2016 and Laird, who uses a longer putter which just brushes his shirt instead of nestling in his belly, is anticipating a seamless transition.
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