Next Stop China for Graham DeLaet

Graham DeLaet got his first order of business done on Saturday when he qualified for the final stage of PGA Tour qualifying school by tying for 13th at his second stage qualifier last week at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga.

That was first priority in a busy itinerary over the next couple of weeks for DeLaet, who says the second stage has been his downfall in the past.

“I hit the ball really, really well all week. I didn’t putt very well the first three days. (In the final round), I made some good putts,” said DeLaet, who earned at least a Nationwide Tour card for next year with his performance last week.

“I got off to a bit of a shaky start in the first round. I made a quad on my fourth hole to go three-over, but I kind of held it together and brought it back in at even par for the round,” he said.

“Even though I was way back, I knew that I was playing well and that I could make up those strokes, so I just kind of kept plugging away,” said DeLaet, who can take something away from his climb into contention in Georgia last week.

“Every time you do that, it just lets you know deep down that you have the ability to fight back and it’s just one more thing in your repertoire, so to speak,” said DeLaet, who will need all weapons in his arsenal blazing over the next couple of weeks.

He left Atlanta yesterday for Newark, N.J., where he boarded a flight to Hong Kong. From there, he had a couple of hours by land to Mission Hills in China, where he was to join teammate Stuart Anderson of Victoria for this week’s World Cup.

He will have a similar arduous journey back for the final stage of Q-School, which takes place Dec. 2-7 in West Palm Beach, Fla., with a PGA Tour card on the line.

“Obviously, your sleeping patterns are definitely off and your eating patterns. I figure it’s the World Cup and it’s final stage of Q-School and if I can’t get excited to play those two events, what can I get excited for, so I’ll be ready to go,” said DeLaet, who won the Canadian Tour’s Order of Merit this year.

DeLaet will not be joined at the final stage of Q-School by Anderson, who withdrew from the final round of his second stage qualifier in Beaumont, Calif, Still, DeLaet believes his partner will be ready in China after the pair qualified at a World Cup qualifier in Estonia last month.

“You ask any Canadian who has played Canadian Tour with Stuart and they’ll tell you he’s got a lot of game. I’ve got total confidence in him,” said DeLaet.

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