Lawrie's still got major ambition
Peter Lawrie drives at the 18th at St Andrews last year. Picture Stuart Adams /www.golffile.ie 2nd October 2011Peter Lawrie knows he must hole more putts if he’s to improve his “horrendous” major record.
The Dubliner, 37, has played in just one major in nine years on tour and he’s determined to set the record straight.
Set to make his 2012 debut in this week’s Joburg Open, Lawrie said: “This will be my 10th year on tour and I have only ever played in one major at St Andrews in 2005. To me that’s horrendous. It does gnaw away a little bit and it’s something I’d love to put right.
“When you see players who feel you are as good as having played in many, many more majors, it’s disappointing. It’s something on my to do list.”
Lawrie’s first task is to hole more putts so he can add to lone European Tour win in the 2008 Spanish Open.
He said: “I’d be very happy if I said to you at the end of this year that I played as well as I did last year. And I would be very disappointed if I said to you that I putted the same. That’s one of the improvements that’s required.
“Since I started on the tour in 2003 I’m now taking a stroke a round more on the greens. That’s four shots per tournament and that’s just massive.”
Confessing that a complete overhaul of his routine is on the cards, Lawrie said: “I have always been a feel putter but it is not consistent enough and I have one good week and three bad weeks.
“I think I am going to have to be far more structured and be more like Padraig Harrington, or any of the good putters, and be very strict on myself regarding my set up.
“I am going to have to go with more of a routine method. I think I am going to have to be very rigid and very strict and stop trying to feel it into the hole.”
Lawrie has earned nearly €4m on tour but he reckons he can get even better, claiming: “There’s plenty more in the tank.
“If I can get a couple of results under my belt early in the season and putt halfway decent, I will only go one way and that’s up the leaderboard.”