There is a great chance for Graham DeLaet to be on Team Canada for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“I’ve been lucky to represent Canada a few times and it’s pretty special but the Olympics are a different level. It’s something you’ll remember for the rest of your life,” said DeLaet in recent interview. “To be an Olympian would be a dream come true.”
Golf coaches Derek Ingram and Tristan Mullally will be leading Canada’s Olympic golf teams. Both coaches feel Canada has as good a chance as any to win a medal.
The format for golf for the Olympics is a 72-hole stroke-play event — not unlike the tournaments that occur weekly on the PGA and LPGA tours.
A total of 60 players will compete in each of the men’s and women’s events.
The top 15 players according to the world ranking as of July 2016 will play, with a limit of four per country. Right now, the only country with the maximum of four players is the U.S.
After the top 15, the field will be filled with no more than two players from each country.
Canada’s team, if the Olympics were to begin today, would consist of Graham DeLaet and David Hearn.
The Olympic Games, starting Aug. 5, 2016, will mark the return of golf as an Olympic sport for the first time since 1904. After some initial delays, the Olympic golf course in Rio de Janeiro is now essentially finished and officials of the International Golf Federation are looking at a test event in the first quarter of 2016.
After a bit of a break from the PGA Tour, and welcoming twins with wife Ruby, DeLaet is due to return to the PGA Tour greens for the Sony Open in Hawaii, which is set for January 14 to 17. There will be a lot of opportunity for him to advance his standings on the golf rankings.
There will also be some promotional opportunities for DeLaet during the upcoming 2016 PGA Tour season.
It was recently announced that DeLaet will serve as an ambassador for MGM Resorts’ portfolio of destination resorts and wear an MGM Resorts’ logo hat while competing in PGA Tour events.
DeLaet has a couple of events under his belt already for the 2016 PGA Tour. He tied 32nd for the Frys.Com, which was held in early October. Then he was cut from the Shriners Hospital for Childrens Open also held in October, before tying 33th for the Sanderson Farms Open which was held in November.
His FedEx Cup standings for the 2016 PGA Tour season is 116 and he has earned $52,795 during those previous events.
