DeLaet fails to make cut after his first appearance at Augusta National
His tournament ends with eight over par on a course that confounds many first- time participants AUGUSTA, Ga. — Graham DeLaet blamed it on his putter, but neither he nor it had enough experience to make a serious run at surviving the cut at his first Masters. The 32- year- old from Weyburn, Sask., shot an even- par 72 Friday but would have needed something a lot more heroic to make up for the 80 blows he struck in his debut round. There’s a reason no first- timer has won the green jacket in 35 years. “It’s so tricky, there’s so many little intricacies, it takes time to learn, and get familiar with some of the bounces you’re going to get. I think it does take a few years to get the hang of this golf course,” said DeLaet, “and it would have been nice to play a couple more rounds here this weekend. Unfortunately, I won’t get that chance. “At least today I was able to hit some golf shots and feel like I knew what I was doing a little bit. I just needed to hole more putts. If I had putted decent I would be even par right now instead of eight- over. “The greens were just so much faster and trickier than I had anticipated, so maybe ( next time) I’ll spend a little more time around the greens and putting, but at the same time, it’s so much different once the tournament starts from how it was Tuesday and Wednesday, it’s hard to get the feel of how lightning- fast it is.” DeLaet played early Friday, long before Bubba Watson strung together five straight birdies on the back nine to leave most of the field behind, so for just a few minutes it looked as though he might be able to put together a late charge. He had made four birdies by the 13th hole ( alas, with three bogeys), but his last hope died when he not only failed to birdie the par- 5 15th, but bogeyed it. He nearly made an ace at the par- 3 16th. “Looking back, that 15th hole, I hit such a great shot in there and the wind switched on me and I ended up coming up 30 yards short,” DeLaet said. “That could have been the difference — I birdied the next — but all in all, I had a great time this week.” His supporters from back home were there to the bitter end, and he said he even had a letter in his locker from Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall. “That was nice, and I’ve had a lot of support on Twitter, and I know there’s a lot of people cheering for me,” he said. “I feel I let them down a little bit, but I tried on every shot. I tried my best.” He’s playing Hilton Head next week, but said he’d stick around with his family and his hometown buddies, Graham’s Gangsters, at least until Sunday, “probably just hang out with the guys and watch some golf on the weekend and enjoy the Masters.” Just not exactly the way he had hoped to enjoy it.