Laird on the march in Scotland as McIlroy recovers

Scotland’s Martin Laird charged into contention for the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Royal Aberdeen on Saturday.

Laird made the cut by a single shot following rounds of 70 and 73, but in a packed field was just seven off the overnight lead shared by fellow Scot Marc Warren, Sweden’s Kristoffer Broberg and Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez.

And when he went to the turn in just 31 shots that gap was down to two shots with the leaders still almost two hours away from teeing off.

Laird, who plays mainly on the PGA Tour in the United States, carded birdies on the second, fourth, fifth, sixth and ninth as the players again took advantage of the downwind front nine.

The 31-year-old was joined on five under by Sweden’s Robert Karlsson, the former European number one having picked up birdies on the second, fourth and fifth before recording an eagle on the par-five sixth.

And Karlsson’s playing partner Rory McIlroy was also relishing having another miserable Friday behind him, the two-time major winner recovering from a bogey on the first with birdies on the third, fifth and sixth to improve to two under par.

McIlroy had carded a course-record 64 in the opening round but slumped to a 78 on Friday to continue a worrying trend this season.