Sport in brief: Laird targets Ryder Cup spot after flying start

Golf: Scotland's Martin Laird got his PGA Tour season started in fine style in Hawaii and immediately targeted a place in Europe's Ryder Cup team in 10 months. Laird ended the opening day one shot behind first-round leader Lucas Glover at the SBS Championship at the Kapalua Resort's Plantation Course in a 28-player field restricted to last year's US Tour event winners.

The Glaswegian sank seven birdies and one bogey on the par-73, 7,411-yard course for a six-under-par 67. Laird, 28, has played his entire career in the United States having turned professional in 2004 after graduating from Colorado State University, and admitted he had not met 2010 Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie.

He does, however, intend to put that right ahead of this October's matches against the US at Celtic Manor in south Wales. "I've never met Monty but hopefully I'll get to know him pretty well this year," Laird said.

The Scot admitted he also has dreams of playing St Andrews, when the Open Championship marks its 150th anniversary this summer: "If there's ever a tournament I want to qualify for it's the Open, especially at St Andrews, My parents live 15 minutes from there, so in a big week I'd stay at home."

Pacquiao lines up Clottey fight as row continues

Boxing: Manny Pacquiao will face Ghanaian hardman Joshua Clottey if his fight with Floyd Mayweather Jnr cannot be resurrected. Negotiations between the Filipino fighter and Mayweather appeared to have broken down irretrievably last week after a mediator was unable to help them reach an agreement over their proposed bout in Las Vegas on 13 March. The row stems from Mayweather's insistence upon extra-stringent drug testing – namely the enforcement of blood sampling close to the fight. This led Pacquiao to launch legal action and all parties seemingly conceding the bout is now off.