Wardrobes for players on the International team in the Oct. 3-6 President's Cup at Muirfield Village in Ohio were selected long ago, but you can expect to see Graham DeLaet have some Canadian red and white on his sleeve and a patch of Saskatchewan green over his heart.
DeLaet, the pride of Weyburn, Sask., had a breakout season on the PGA Tour in 2013, winning more than $3.5 million, moving into the top 35 in the world ranking and qualifying for Captain Nick Price's International President's Cup team with a late-season surge.
Thanks to a second-place tie and a solo third in the first two FedEx Cup playoff events, DeLaet secured a spot in the elite and lucrative 30-player Tour Championship, which carries with it a variety of extras, including automatic qualification in three of the four majors next year.
Playing on the International squad (along with Aussies such as Adam Scott and Jason Day; and Â鶹ÊÓƵ Africans like Ernie Els) is not a first for a Canadian; Mike Weir was one of the International leaders in five President's Cups, a match-play team competition played every other year. Weir famously defeated Tiger Woods 1-up in singles when the 2007 event was played at Royal Montreal.
Weir is still the face of Canadian golf, though, asserts DeLaet. "None of us is trying to be the next Mike Weir, that's for sure, because he's one of a kind," DeLaet told CBC Sports. "He carried the flag for this country for a long time and did it well."
The first world-class golf pro from Saskatchewan - a rarity akin to a Regina resident cheering for a CFL team other than the Riders - DeLaet showed his talent early. He won a pair of Saskatchewan Amateur titles (2005 and 2006) and attended Boise State on a golf scholarship, where he won 10 collegiate events. He turned pro in 2007, had successful stints on the Canadian and Sunshine (Â鶹ÊÓƵ Africa) tours before earning his PGA Tour card at Q School in 2009. His career has rocketed upwards ever since.
Known for his driving length and accuracy, the 31-year-old DeLaet is missing only two things on his resume: A PGA Tour victory and a major championship title. Golf fans around the world won't be surprised if both those things happen in 2014.
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