Graham DeLaet shared the opening-round lead with Rory McIlroy at the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship last week.
On Sunday, he finished in a tie for 37th in the tournament in Indiana.
One day later, he was in a totally different environment.
“We’ve never had cheerleaders or a band for golf, so that was a lot of fun,” DeLaet said Monday from Hillcrest Country Club in Boise.
That was the scene that greeted DeLaet as he played for Boise State in the Michelob Ultra Shoot-Out to kick off a week of events for the Albertsons Boise Open, a stop on the Web.com Tour.
DeLaet and another former Bronco, Troy Merritt, represented Boise State. They squared off against Sam Saunders and long-driving champion Jamie Sadlowski, who played for Idaho’s golf program, and Casey Martin and Web.com golfer Andres Gonzales, who played for Oregon.
“It’s always a privilege to come back and play for a city and school that gave so much to me,” Merritt said.
Merritt and DeLaet were all smiles as they enjoyed the nine-hole round. But there was one problem: As they approached the final hole, they still hadn’t won any money for their former golf team.
DeLaet almost changed that with a stellar shot from the greenside bunker that settled about three inches away from the hole, denying him an eagle and $10,000 in winnings.
“That would have been a hell of a way to finish,” DeLaet said.
Instead, all three teams finished with birdies. So Boise Open Executive Director Jeff Sanders suggested they have a chip-off to decide who would get the final $10,000.
Martin, the Oregon men’s golf coach, had a better idea. He stepped to the center of the green and said, “Give it to Boise.”
DeLaet, for one, appreciated the gesture.
“It was pretty generous there of Casey and the Vandals to give us that last skin,” he said.
The final tally: $20,000 for the Ducks and Vandals golf programs, and $10,000 for Boise State’s.
SHOT OF THE DAY
Gonzales made a run at the most impressive shot of the afternoon after he landed in the sand trap next to the practice chipping green on the par-4 seventh hole (which will be No. 16 in this week’s tournament, since they played the back nine).
It was far from prime position, but Gonzales sent a long iron shot through some trees and onto the green. He tapped in for an unconventional birdie.
But the shot of the day came on the final hole (No. 18), when Sadlowski’s drive on the uphill par-4 landed on the back of the green. Granted, Sadlowski is known for his long drives and they didn’t play from the championship tee, but the accurate, 350-yard drive still resulted in plenty of dropped jaws. For the record, his eagle putt came up inches short.
PUTTS FOR DOUGH
Saunders made a couple of big putts for the Vandals team. And, skins game or not, he enjoyed making them.
“I hadn’t played golf in nine days,” said Saunders, who is Arnold Palmer’s grandson. “I was burned out, and I just needed to put the sticks away and get refreshed. So it was nice to come out here today and make some birdies and see some putts go in.”
Saunders made his pro debut at the 2009 Boise Open, so the stop on the Web.com Tour (formerly Nationwide Tour) is a memorable one.
“It’s a special place for me,” he said. “I love Boise. ... This is definitely one of my favorite golf courses we play on this tour.”
INTERESTED ONLOOKERS
A threesome of young men wearing orange shirts were hard to miss as they followed the golfers inside the ropes. Jordan Skyles and Minwoo Park play golf for Boise State, and Scott Spiewak is a former player who is now a student/assistant coach for the Broncos.
Clearly, the trio had a vested interest in the outcome of the event.
“Hopefully, they can get a few bucks here for us,” Skyles, a junior, said midway through the round.
The Bronco golfers came out to support Merritt and DeLaet while their teammates and coach, Kevin Burton, were at Washington State for a tournament.
Skyles said his loyalties were undivided, even though he played for Martin at Oregon before transferring to Boise State. He quickly dismissed the thought that maybe he should have been wearing some green shorts to go with his orange shirt.
“I don’t know about that,” he said with a smile. “But it’s definitely good to see (Martin) again.”
Chris Langrill: 377-6424
