Graham DeLaet had another top-10 finish last week, after tying eighth at the AT&T National. The former Weyburn athlete has secured five top-10s during his 2013 PGA season.
Graham DeLaet had another top-10 finish last week, after tying eighth at the AT&T National.
The former Weyburn athlete has secured five top-10s during his 2013 PGA season. After 18 events, he has earned a total of $1,523,887 and is currently placed 23rd on the FexExCup.
DeLaet is also ranked as the top PGA golfer for hitting the green during regulation percentage. Over the course of the year, DeLaet has hit 863 greens and his percentage is 72.64.
According to the World Golf Rankings, DeLaet is ranked 74th in the world, and he is also Canada's best golfer by a fairly substantial margin. DeLaet holds that distinction without having won on the PGA Tour.
But DeLaet definitely has his eye on his first PGA championship. He came close to achieving a trophy during the Travelers Championship, but fell short and captured third place.
During the AT&T National, DeLaet started the first round on the front nine. He immediately scored a birdie on hole one, then went back to even-par after hitting a bogey on hole two. Later in the front nine, DeLaet shot two birdies on holes six and eight, then a bogey on hole nine.
During the back nine, DeLaet shot a bogey on hole 11, then scored three birdies on holes 13, 15 and 16. His final score for the round was 68, three-under-par.
DeLaet started on the back nine for the second round, he stayed on par for most of the back nine, shooting one bogey on hole 13. DeLaet shot a birdie on hole one to start his front nine, then hit two bogeys for holes threes and six, and then finished up the round with a birdie on hole nine.
His second round score was 72, one-over par. After two rounds, DeLaet was two-under-par and was well above the cut line set at three-over-par.
For round three, DeLaet started on the front nine and hit a birdie on hole two, then went back and forth four a few holes, with bogeys on holes five and seven and birdies on holes six and eight. Then during the back nine, DeLaet shot a birdie on hole 11, then bogeyed on holes 15 and 18. He finished round three with a 71, right on par.
During the fourth and final round, DeLaet started on the front nine where he immediately shot a birdie on hole one. Then he shot a bogey on hole three, and then birdies on holes four and six. Then during the back nine, he had back-to-back birdies on holes 12 and 13, then hit a bogey on 14 and back-to-back bogeys on holes 16 and 17.
DeLaet finished the round with a birdie on hole 18. His round four score was 69, two-under-par. After four rounds at the AT&T National, DeLaet was four-under-par in total.
The next PGA Tour event for DeLaet is The Greenbrier Classic, which runs July 4 to 7.
While DeLaet is on the course for the Greenbrier Classic, he will be co-chairing an important PGA Canada Tour event in Saskatchewan. The Dakota Dunes started on Monday in Saskatoon, and it runs until Sunday, July 7.
Graham agreed to serve along side Chief Darcy Bear of the Whitecap Dakota First Nation as the Co-chair of the tournament. Graham played in the Dakota Dunes open twice prior to his move to the PGA TOUR.
Then on July 11, DeLaet will be returning to Saskatchewan for the DeLaet Charity Classic at the Willows Golf Course in Saskatoon. The DeLaet Charity Classic tournament is being held at The Willows for the first time.
Recently DeLaet tweeted that he was "Looking forward to getting back to Sask. in a couple weeks for the DeLaet Classic."
During the charity golf tournament, DeLaet will host a golf clinic for junior golfers during the morning. He is scheduled to be in Saskatoon most of the week after the tournament, but that may shorten up due to how well he is currently playing.
The money raised at the Graham DeLaet Charity Classic will be used in support of Junior Golf in Saskatchewan, including provincial initiatives encouraging young people to take up the sport of golf for life. One of Graham's goals was to see the opportunities provided to him, by Golf Saskatchewan, given to more golfers.
A portion of the proceeds from the DeLaet Charity Classic will be donated to the Weyburn and District Hospital Foundation. In 2011 and 2012, DeLaet was in Weyburn for a charity golf tournament that helped the hospital foundation.
After the DeLaet Charity Classic, Graham will be traveling to Ontario for the RBC Canadian Open on July 25 to 28, one of the key PGA events for Canadian golfers.
Even though DeLaet had opted to withdraw from qualifying for the US Open earlier this year, there is still lots of potential for him to play at other high-caliber events. He has positioned himself to get into the British Open and PGA Championship, the season's final two majors.
A high performance in those or in one or two FedEx Cup playoff tournaments and DeLaet will have serious consideration in the upcoming Presidents Cup at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, in the first week of October. DeLaet is currently 15th on that ledger, with the Top 10 earning automatic qualification.
