Canada’s Taylor rockets to top in Vegas

LAS VEGAS The only fairway Nick Taylor missed on Thursday at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open was at the short par-four 15th. That’s because he drove to the green on the 315-yard hole and made a five-foot eagle putt.

It was that kind of day for Taylor, who shot a sizzling 8-under 63 at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas to take the first-one lead, one-shot in front of Brian Harman. Phil Mickelson headed up a group five tied at 6-under, two shots off the pace.

“It’s going to be hard to top today’s round tomorrow,” said Taylor, of Abbotsford, B.C.

For the record, driving to the green on the 15th hole counts as a hit fairway, so the 31-year-old Canadian finished 14-of-14 in fairways hit. Taylor came to Vegas hot, finishing tied for 10th last week at the Safeway Open in Napa, Calif., where four Canadians finished in the top 15. Taylor says his game has been steadily progressing over the past year and the results are finally beginning to catch up with how good he feels he’s playing.

“Not much I’m not comfortable with right now, which is always a good thing,” Taylor said.

“Been driving it great and putting solid.”

Taylor didn’t miss a single putt inside 12 feet on Thursday. He made two perfect shots on the par-5 ninth hole — his last of the day — and gave himself a 15-foot putt for a second eagle. That putt narrowly missed, forcing Taylor to settle for a six-birdie, one-eagle, bogey-free round of 63.

After four holes on Thursday at the Shriners Open, Graham Delaet was 5-over par. And he was happy.

It’s been a long and painful road back. This week in Las Vegas, the 37-year-old golfer made his return to competitive golf after nearly two years off with an injured back that has required two surgeries and stem cell injections. He told Postmedia earlier this week that, in all honesty, he didn’t know if he was ready.

The first shot of his comeback went 318 yards down the middle of the fairway. Great. The second shot was a bladed wedge that flew over the green. Not so great.

After a bogey on the first hole, he followed it with a triple bogey at the third, and another dropped shot at the fourth. Curious onlookers were a little worried.

Turns out, Delaet wasn’t.

“It kind of put things into perspective,” he said after his round. “Like, I’m over par so much early, and I wasn’t even mad. I was out