MARTIN LAIRD may be in World Cup action for Scotland in Australia this week but the Glasgow golfer is setting his sights on a cup of a different kind.

The Stateside star, a three-time winner on the US PGA Tour, is partnering countryman Stephen Gallacher in golf's global gathering at Royal Melbourne over the next four days but the 30-year-old still has one eye on next year's Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.

Laird is already playing catch-up in the qualifying points race for Team Europe due to the fact that his membership of the European Tour had lapsed.

The former Scottish Youths' champ had thought he would have to wait until January 1 to renew that status.

But Laird, who has sent his membership form to the tour's Wentworth HQ, has been informed that he can start earning qualifying points in the World Cup.

With $7million up for grabs in the individual event, the Scot is eager to take advantage of the big money on offer Down Under to get his Ryder Cup bid up-and-running.

Laird, who won the Texas Open in April but saw his season peter out as the year went on, said: "I have joined the tour. I want to play in any Ryder Cup team but Gleneagles is a special incentive.

"The way my golf game has been the last few months I need to concentrate more on that than trying to make the team.

"But I know that if I can have a hot start to the New Year like I did at the start of this year then maybe qualifying for the European Team will be a topic for discussion."

Laird made some changes to his swing for the 2013 campaign but has admitted that he's gone back to the old routine in an attempt to rediscover his best form.

He added: "I tried making a few swing tweaks to become a more complete player and they didn't really pan out the way I had hoped. I have gone back to swinging it more like the way I used to, hitting cuts nearly every shot. That's how I have played my most consistent golf in the past."