Steve Stricker became the first PGA Tour winner of 2012 after he held on for victory at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
Laird finishes three shots off the pace
Steve Stricker became the first PGA Tour winner of 2012 after he held on for a three-shot victory at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Maui.
The 44-year-old went into the final round at Kapalua's Plantation Course with a five-stroke advantage - and although Martin Laird, Webb Simpson and Jonathan Byrd all put him under significant pressure, he did enough to close out the win.
A birdie at the 18th gave Stricker a closing round of 69 - his fourth sub-70 score of the event - as he finished on 23 under.
Stricker had started slowly for the second successive round, with no birdies in his first seven holes and a bogey at the par-four sixth.
But he picked up strokes at the eighth and ninth, as well as three more after the turn to keep him ahead of the pack throughout.
Proud
Glasgow-born Laird was second on 20-under following a six-under round of 67 - ending the day with four birdies in the last five holes - while Simpson and Byrd were one shot further back after signing for 68s.
KJ Choi and Keegan Bradley also found some impressive January form, each carding eight under for the day.
Choi finished on 15 under, tied for fifth with Harrison Frazar.
After sealing the victory, Stricker told
Sky Sports: "It was tough but I never let up today. I'm very proud of what I've achieved here.
"I felt it kind of slipping away [at the start of the round] but I was patient. Frustrated, but patient.
"The birdie at eight calmed me down quite a bit and I played steady after that."
