Martin Laird is soaking up the extensive Royal Melbourne course knowledge of his new caddie as he strives for individual honours in the World Cup of Golf in Melbourne, Australia.
Laird has the Kiwi-born Michael Waite, known as ‘Sponge’ in the game, full time on his bag after the pair hooked up for the first time in the recent Las Vegas International and then also at the recent PGA Tour CIMB Classic in Malaysia.
Laird said: “Sponge tells me he must have caddied in more than 100 rounds around Royal Melbourne, so he’s been the big key to me playing so well this week.
“When we came out here on Monday for the first time, I simply said to him just tell me where to hit it and that’s what I’ve continued to do.
“Royal Melbourne is the type of course where the more you play the more you get to know the slopes and that’s what I’ve learned over these two rounds.
“He’s been around this course probably more than any other caddie here this week and that has made my first appearance here a lot easier.”
However, Laird let slip a share of third place when he bogeyed the last in a second round of 72 to be tied in fifth place on three under par but only five behind the leader, Dane Thomas Bjorn.
Bjorn, 42, moved one clear of the 60-player field with a 68 for an eight- under-par tally of 134.
However, when golf does return to the Olympics he will be 45 years of age but then Bjorn has shown he has lost none of his competitive edge winning four of his 17 career European Tour victories since turning 40.
Bathgate’s Stephen Gallacher continues to struggle on the ‘Grand Old Lady’ of Australian golf course, adding a 71 to his opening 74 to share 35th place.
Each time he managed a birdie on day two, at the 2nd, 6th, 11th and 15th holes, Gallacher then bogeyed the next.
Laird and Gallacher are joint sixth in the team event, 10 shots adrift of leaders United States.