He finished tied for 7th place in the 1937 Open Championship and won the 1938 Daily Mirror Assistants' Tournament.

Laidlaw was an assistant professional at Gleneagles Hotel (from 1932) and Malden (from 1934) and then with Henry Cotton at Ashridge Golf Club from the start of 1937.

Laidlaw's big win was in the 1938 Daily Mirror Assistants' Tournament at Blackpool North Shore.

He scored 289 for the 72 holes and won by 9 strokes from Alan Waters and Geoff White.

[2] Pilot Officer Laidlaw was killed during an RAF raid on the night of 20/21 October 1941.