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Q&A with Graham DeLaet: 'I’m really looking forward to a fresh new season'

Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images Sport / Getty

As part of our regular series, theScore-sponsored professional golfer Mackenzie Hughes me​ets with fellow Canadian and PGA Tour pro Graham DeLaet and chats about fishing, skating with the Arizona Coyotes, and the opportunity to represent Canada at the Olympics.

MAC: You recently launched your foundation, the Graham and Ruby DeLaet Foundation. What’s that been like for you and how important is it for you to give back to the community?

GRAHAM: It’s awesome. Super rewarding. My wife, Ruby and I, especially Ruby, is very involved and we’re both really passionate about it. To be able to give back is extremely important to both of us. I wouldn’t be where I am without the game of golf, so to be able to give back and positively impact people’s lives is an amazing feeling and something we look forward to continue to do for years to come.

MAC: Tell us a little about your charity event, “Graham Slam.”

GRAHAM: Graham Slam is an annual charity golf event that Ruby and I host back home in Saskatchewan in June. This year we raised over $200,000, with proceeds going to Ronald McDonald House Saskatoon, as well as the Children’s Wish Foundation. It’s always a really great day. One of my buddies from my PGA TOUR Canada days, Joe Horowitz, came up for it this year. Joe is a talented musician, so he put on a great show for everyone. It was awesome.

MAC: What’s the coolest place you’ve been fishing and what’s the biggest fish you’ve ever caught.

GRAHAM: Coolest place would have to be Alaska, for sure. That’s also where I caught my biggest fish: A 55-pound king salmon. I’ve also done some other deep sea fishing in Cabo and other places in Mexico. We had a couple marlins on the line in Mexico last year, but the king salmon in Alaska is the biggest for me so far.

MAC: I saw the video you posted of you skating with the Arizona Coyotes. What was that experience like and if you could skate with another team, what team would that be?

GRAHAM: It was a great experience. I was a hockey player growing up, so scrimmaging with NHLers was something, as a kid, I always wanted to do and would have been a dream come true at that time. Living in Arizona, I’ve gotten to know a bunch of the guys on the Coyotes and they’re all good guys, and a lot of them play golf, so it’s fun. I found out when I got to the PGA TOUR that a lot of hockey players want to be golfers, which is funny because all I ever wanted to be growing up was a hockey player. I recently played in a charity golf tournament in Calgary with the Calgary Flames and a few guys on the coaching staff who saw the video mentioned that I could come skate with them whenever I was in town.

MAC: You rock the Puma gear on Tour. What’s your go-to outfit and favorite color scheme?

GRAHAM: On Sundays I always wear red and white. Puma obviously has some pretty cool stuff, so it’s fun to throw on the bright colors now and then, but you have to play well to back that up.

MAC: I heard that you and Ruby are expecting twins. First of all, congrats on that. That’s awesome. Does it matter to you if it’s boys, girls, one of each?

GRAHAM: Thanks very much. Ruby and I are really excited. It doesn’t really matter to us if it’s two boys, two girls or one of each, as long as they’re both healthy.

MAC: You’ve had Jules Trudeau on the bag for a while now. If you could have any celebrity caddying for you, who would it be?

GRAHAM: That’s a good question. I haven’t had that one before. If I had to pick one, I would have to say, Bill Murray. He would probably be pretty entertaining out there.

MAC: If you had to suit up in the NHL All Star game, who would you pick as your line mates in your starting lineup?

GRAHAM: I’d have to go with Jonathan Toews and Sidney Crosby up front and Mark Giordano and Paul Coffey on D, even though Coffey was an Oiler.

MAC: You pretty much rock the beard full-time now, but do you have a strategy in place for when you go clean-shaven or full-out full-beard?

GRAHAM: I have a pretty good beard going right now. I actually haven’t touched it since July, haven’t trimmed it once. I don’t really have a strategy, I’ll just decide to shave it one day and then instantly regret it because it takes so long to grow it back. It’s funny though, it’s a lifestyle thing similar to how bikers give the wave as they pass each other on the road, guys with beards will give a nod, an appreciation for the respective beards *laughs*.

MAC: You had a pretty solid year, but probably not what you were hoping for. Can you pinpoint what held you back this year.

GRAHAM: Definitely injuries. I didn’t get a chance to get it going in the fall, so I was always coming from behind and fighting to move up the money list all year. Typically I would have a good fall season and have a good head start to the season, but this year was a little different, it was tough. Looking back on the season, all things considered, I’m actually pretty proud of what I was able to accomplish with the limited starts I had. It’s nice to have a few weeks off to get 100 percent healthy. I’m really looking forward to a fresh new season fresh and ready to get after it in Napa for the Frys.com Open.

MAC: You obviously have a great chance to be on Team Canada for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Is this something you’re looking forward to?

GRAHAM: Yes, absolutely. That’s the biggest carrot I’ll be chasing all year. I’ve been fortunate enough to represent Canada at a number of different events over the years and there truly is nothing better and to have the opportunity on the Olympic stage would be an absolute dream come true and something I’d remember for the rest of my life.

About Graham DeLaet

Graham finished the 2014-2015 PGA TOUR season 112th in the FedEx Cup and remained Canada’s highest ranked player in the Official World Golf Rankings. Graham notched three top-10’s this season on the PGA TOUR and is looking forward to starting his 2015-2016 season at the Frys.com Open in Napa, California, October 15-18, 2015.

In June 2014, Graham and his wife, Ruby, launched the Graham and Ruby DeLaet Foundation. The foundation’s central focus is supporting children’s health, as well as supporting the development of junior golfers at all levels of the game.

One of the most successful Canadian golfers in recent years, Graham’s phenomenal ball striking has made him a must-watch for media and his peers alike. Graham and Ruby will welcome twins in November.

GRAHAM DELAET PROFILE

  • Born in Weyburn, Saskatchewan

  • Attended Boise State University

  • Turned pro in 2006

  • Finished 8th in the 2013 FedEx Cup Playoffs

  • Tied with Jason Day for most points gained for the International Team, representing Canada at the 2013 Presidents Cup

  • 7 Top 10 finishes in 2014

  • 3 Top 10 finishes in 2015

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