Graham DeLaet returns after two years

LAS VEGAS – Graham DeLaet had been fighting the nerves ahead of his return to the PGA TOUR, so having his alarm go off at 2:45 a.m. by mistake certainly wasn’t the best start.

Nor was being five over through four holes.

But the Canadian was actually still smiling at TPC Summerlin, even when he sat seven over through 12 holes at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

For DeLaet, this first start back from a lengthy injury layoff was all about finding his feet again.

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The 37-year-old had a stem cell injection and a second microdiscectomy surgery – the same surgery Tiger Woods had before spinal fusion – on his injured back during his time away from professional golf.

He wasn’t sure if he’d ever make it back. That fresh perspective allowed him to reel off three birdies in a row in the closing stretch to scratch out a 4-over 75 in his first competitive PGA TOUR round in 714 days.

“I was over-par early but it didn’t even matter… I was out there having fun. I’m back on the PGA TOUR again,” DeLaet said.

“The back held up pretty well. Obviously I’m not happy with the score but I’m happy to be back. It was just nerves. I felt like I was really gripping the putter tight early. I wasn’t really letting it go… and not really trusting it. It’s been so long. You can play all the little money games with your buddies at home but it’s a little different on this stage.”

On a few occasions, DeLaet needed to stretch out between shots as he adjusts to how his body reacts under the pressure of the PGA TOUR.

He is playing on a major medical exemption where he has 24 starts to earn 266 FedExCup points to secure his TOUR card for the 2020-21 season. It’s an achievable goal, given it requires he average around a 45th place finish in all 24 starts.

But the heady days of 2013, where he was a part of Nick Price’s International Presidents Cup team and finished eighth in the FedExCup, seem a distant memory.

To return to those heights, he will have to do so while continuing to manage some pain. He says he won’t hit the range after rounds like he did in the past.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be 100%. I’m going to have to play through a little bit of pain. It’s more tightness than pain,” DeLaet explained.

“On nine, I went to step into that shot and I got a little twinge or whatever, but it went away in five seconds. It doesn’t really hurt to swing the golf club, it’s more about being on my feet and the pain and the achiness and the tightness that comes with it. The actual golf swing doesn’t bother me that much.”

DeLaet plans to play the Houston Open, the Bermuda Championship and the Mayakoba Golf Classic to close out his fall schedule.

“That’s all my body will let me… (although) I’m more optimistic now after today’s round,” he said.

“It was such an unknown the last couple weeks so I’m optimistic that I’ll get three or four events in this fall and even if I don’t get a massive amount of FedExCup points at least I’ll get back in the rhythm and the flow… just showing up on Monday and practicing and the routine.”