What It Takes To Win - Valero Texas Open

Martin Laird, a player who has been looking for answers to his struggling game as of late, found the solution this past weekend winning the Valero Texas Open.  Shooting an impressive final round at 9 under par (63) to fend of Rory McIlroy.
Laird, who entered the week 161st on the money list, tied the course record with his bogey-free effort. He punctuated the overall 14-under effort with birdies on the final three holes, earning a trip to next week's Masters and plenty of confidence in a recent swing change along the way.
"I came in here quietly confident, even though my record this year has been poor to say the least," Laird said. "But golf's a funny game; doesn't matter what you did two weeks ago. It turns around pretty quickly."
The win was Laird's third on the PGA Tour, his first since the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2011.

• Round 1: 70 (2 under) - 6 Birdies, 8 Pars, 4 Bogeys
• Round 2: 71 (1 under) - 4 Birdies, 11 Pars, 3 Bogeys
• Round 3: 70 (2 under) - 1 Eagle, 3 Birdies, 11 Pars, 3 Bogeys
• Round 4: 63 (9 under) - 9 Birdies, 9 Pars
• Total: 14 under par - 1 Eagle, 22 Birdies, 39 Pars, 10 Bogeys

What I find most impressive about Laird's play is not only the fact that he shot 63, matching the course record, but that he was able to do it on Sunday with all the final round pressure.  With a hard-charging McIlroy breathing down his neck over the last few holes, Laird keep his composure and finished strong, including three consecutive birdies to finish off the final holes.
Here's a closer look at some of Laird's statistics...

• Avg Driving Distance: 298.3 yards
• Driving Accuracy: 66.07%
• Greens in Regulation: 69.44%
• Avg Putts per Round: 27 (Avg of 1.5 putts/hole)

Congrats to Martin Laird for winning the Valero Texas Open, and also earning a spot in the Masters field.

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This article was written by Scott Stevens from Eat Sleep Golf as part of our What It Takes To Winseries. This series is focused on taking a closer look at the winning performance of each PGA Tour event to see exactly what it takes to be victorious among elite golfers.
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