Saskatoon StarPhoenix

DeLaet moves forward in bid to make Presidents Cup team

- DARREN ZARY dzary@postmedia.com

Moving on up.

Saskatchew­an native Graham DeLaet made the biggest gain this past week among Canadians vying for spots on the 2017 Presidents Cup internatio­nal team, jumping up eight spots to No. 28 following a T-10 finish at the Memorial.

DeLaet, a member of the 2013 Presidents Cup internatio­nal squad, now has five top-10 finishes for the season while still searching for his first PGA Tour win after winning three times on the Canadian circuit and once in South Africa.

Adam Hadwin remains the top Canadian in the hunt for a spot on the internatio­nal team, currently ranked No. 11. Mackenzie Hughes, at No. 30, is the next highest ranked Canuck.

The top 10 players from the Official World Golf Ranking as of Sept. 4 will make captain Nick Price’s team and others will have to vie for a captain’s pick.

The 2017 Presidents Cup will be held Sept. 28-Oct. 1 at the Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J. The United States edged the Internatio­nal team by one point at the 2015 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

DeLaet is one of only two Canadians to ever play in the Presidents Cup. The other is Mike Weir.

HIGH SCHOOL GOLF

Brad Moser of Holy Cross won the Saskatoon high school golf championsh­ip on Tuesday after shooting a two-under par 70 at the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club.

St. Joseph’s Brock Ochitwa was the runner-up, three shots back, with a 73.

Rounding out the top 10 were Walter Murray’s Kyle Doucette (74), Centennial’s Keighton McNab (75), St. Joseph’s Roman Timmerman (75), Centennial’s Ryan Lukey (75), St. Joseph’s Payton Ochitwa (77), Aden Bowman’s James Yoo (78), St. Joseph’s Connor Scissons (81) and Holy Cross’s Jake Chartier (81).

St. Joseph won the boys team title ahead of runner-up Centennial and Holy Cross.

On the girls’ side, Halle Hindmarsh of Aden Bowman was the top golfer at 106, followed by Marion Graham’s Paige Thompson (112) and Bowman’s Jadyn Hue (115).

RAYCROFT RULES IN SCOTIA WEALTH OPEN

There was a brand new winner in this year’s Scotia Wealth Open in Nipawin as Humboldt’s Paul Raycroft fired rounds of 76 and 67 to win by two shots over defending champion Brett Henry of Prince Albert. Henry scored rounds of 77 and 68.

Rounding out the top five were Prince Albert’s Danny Klughart (78-67), Saskatoon’s Denver Grolla (76-69) and Regina’s Ryan McNall (74-71).

MACKENZIE TOUR OPENS PLAY

Lee McCoy, a three-time NCAA all-American at Georgia, won his profession­al debut at the Freedom 55 Financial Open, the first event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada season.

McCoy, 23, recorded an eightshot victory over Hunter Stewart and Jordan Niebrugge, who both finished at 12-under.

Niebrugge, 23, is a former all-American from Oklahoma State who was the low amateur at the 2015 Open, while Stewart was an All-American at Vanderbilt and a 2015 Ben Hogan Award semifinali­st who played on the 2015 Arnold Palmer Cup team with McCoy.

McCoy became the fourth straight player to make the Freedom 55 Financial Open his first win on the Mackenzie Tour, joining current PGA player Joel Dahmen (2014), Drew Weaver (2015) and Dan McCarthy (2016).

Ontario’s Matt Hill earned Freedom 55 Financial Canadian player of the week honours with a T-20 finish.

GOLF RULE OF THE WEEK

Rule 24-2: Taking “complete relief” from obstructio­n

Q What is meant by the phrase, “taking complete relief” from an obstructio­n?

A When a player is taking relief from an immovable obstructio­n, he must determine the point where there is no interferen­ce from the lie of ball, stance, and area of intended swing.

For example, if the ball lies on a cart path, the ball must be dropped at a point where the cart path does not interfere with the lie of the ball, his stance and also the area of intended swing. If the ball comes to rest in such a position, it must be re-dropped — Rule 20-2c(v).

A number of amateur players believe it’s the fairway side of the obstructio­n (cart path). This is incorrect. The nearest point of relief is not the nicest point of relief and could be in tall grass, in the bush, on a severe slope or a tree.

Remember, a player has the right to play the ball as it lies, even if it requires her/him to putt the ball or chip it backwards to a more favourable position.

 ??  ?? Scotia Wealth Open champ Paul Raycroft, left, gets his trophy from tournament organizer Dean Prosky.
Scotia Wealth Open champ Paul Raycroft, left, gets his trophy from tournament organizer Dean Prosky.
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