Maybe it was the beard talking.
When the words came out of Graham DeLaet last Saturday, it had to be the beard, you couldn’t see his mouth for the dense forest of whiskers.
“Tomorrow is going to be the day. Every time I’m in this position I say the politically correct things. I’m going to go and win this golf tournament tomorrow.”
Yes, that was DeLaet, predicting victory the night before the final round at the Valspar.
His putter didn’t get the message.
DeLaet needs to know that stuff like this doesn’t fall under the “politically correct” banner. All he did was put unnecessary pressure on himself, a guy who has never won on the PGA Tour.
DeLaet perhaps will now know that sometimes you just need to shut up and play.
Play better, putt better.
After watching his putting efforts over the first nine holes where he took 21 putts, forget political correctness. Graham DeLaet putts like a pig, his short game sucks and when that’s the case, you WILL NOT win a PGA Tour event, even though you predicted you would.
The par five 11th hole was a perfect example. DeLaet, who was first in the field in ball-striking through three rounds, hit a perfect second shot that stopped on the fringe, just 12 feet from the hole. Roll in that eagle effort and maybe you can back up the words.
What DaLaet did was take THREE to get down from a spot where just about every guy in the field is going to two-putt AT WORST.
Not DaLaet. Two perfect shots that should have led to an eagle, resulted in par. First in ball-striking, last in putting.
Bad combination for PGA Tour success. Horrible combination for a guy predicting victory.
DeLaet did not win. He did not finish second, or third or fourth, for that matter.
He finished tied for fifth after shooting 75 and in the process, got beat by a college golfer named Lee McCoy from the University of Georgia.
Embarrassing at best.
DeLaet needs to go and work on his short game.
That way, the next time his beard writes a check, his putter might be able to actually cash it.
