DeLaet Ready for Open

Having grown up in Saskatchewan, Graham DeLaet isn’t bothered by a little wind on the golf course — and wind surely is among the weather treasures to be found this week at Muirfield.
The cold, slanting rain that tends to arrive at some point during an Open? He’s seen that at home, too.
“We get that, too. But we just go inside,’’ the Weyburn man cracked.
Barely a week after finding out his world ranking had earned him a spot in a major championship for the first time in his promising career, the only Canadian playing here this week was greeted in a familiar Scottish way when he went out to practise.
“I hit a 5-iron farther than I hit a driver,’’ he said, laughing at the wind that arrives, in varying direction, at each of Muirfield’s 18 holes. “But I grew up in Saskatchewan, so it’s a pretty average wind for me.’’
DeLaet arrives with a terrific set of statistics in his back pocket for his 8 a.m. (local time) tee time Thursday, paired with Swede Jonas Blixt and England’s Brian Davis. He’s 65th-ranked in the world and leads the PGA Tour in scoring average (69.99) and greens in regulation (72 per cent) and is second in total driving and par-five scoring average. He still seeks that first win, but is knocking; he hasn’t been out of the top 30 in his past seven starts, including a third at Hartford, and with more than $1.5 million earned is 28th in cheques cashed.
Ben Curtis, at the Open 10 years ago, nailed a major in his first appearance, so it can be done, longshot though it is — and DeLaet is 200 to 1 with the local bookmaker. At least DeLaet comes in with some links golf experience, having played a British Amateur at Royal St. George’s and a couple of Dunhill Cups as a pro, including last year.
“You need your imagination and (need to) hit the ball solid. Fairways are going to be key, obviously, staying out of that fescue,’’ he said after playing the front nine at Muirfield. “It’s fun. A different style of golf. I don’t know if it’s something I want to play every single day; it just eats you up.”
He and his wife Ruby arrived here Sunday and he couldn’t stay up late enough to see if he would gain some Canadian company. Probably better he missed his buddy David Hearn missing a couple of playoff chances at the John Deere, when a win would have brought him here.
“I wanted to stay up but I was falling asleep. I checked it (Monday) morning and it was unfortunate. Nobody wants to see him win more than me, but it was good to see him in the mix. That’s the main thing. I’m sure it’s going to be a little tough to swallow for him, but he’ll be better for it,’’ said DeLaet, among a handful of (mostly) young Canadians still trying to break through on the PGA Tour. “It’s not a race to see who gets there. We all want to win. Out of all the guys out here on tour I’ve got a lot of friends, but he (Hearn) would be the guy I want to see win first.

(Toronto Star)