Graham DeLaetThe Canadian Press
Graham DeLaet remains Canada's top ranked pro but the Weyburn, Saskatchewan golfer slipped outside the top 50 in the world rankings this past week. Irishman Shane Lowry's fifth place finish at the European Tour's season ending championship in Dubai helped push DeLaet down to No. 51 in the rankings – the first time since August 2013 he has been outside the top 50. That puts him in danger of missing out on an automatic invitation to the Masters next spring which is reserved for the top 50 ranked golfers at the end of each calendar year.
DeLaet has been bothered by back/neck pain this fall which has forced him to withdraw from two of three PGA Tour events to start the new year, thus denying him a chance to earn/defend valuable world ranking points.
There are some 18 methods of qualification which gets you an invite to Augusta. Aside from winning a PGA Tour event, DeLaet's options include being among the top 50 in the final rankings posted at the end of the year or working his way back into the top 50 in the week prior to the Masters. As it stands right now, only Mike Weir (a former Masters champion) and Corey Conners (runner-up at the U.S. Amateur Championship) have the Masters penciled in on their 2015 calendars.
MEN'S TOP 10
HOMETOWN | TOUR | WR | + / – | ||
1. | Graham DeLaet | Weyburn, SK | PGA | 51 | -2 |
2. | David Hearn | Brantford, ON | PGA | 121 | -5 |
3. | Adam Hadwin | Abbotsford, BC | PGA | 177 | - |
4. | Nick Taylor | Abbotsford, BC | PGA | 208 | +2 |
5. | Mike Weir | Brights Grove, ON | PGA | 312 | -3 |
6. | Brad Fritsch | Manotick, ON | PGA | 342 | -3 |
7. | Richard T Lee | Toronto, ON | ASIA | 371 | -6 |
8. | Roger Sloan | Merritt, BC | PGA | 506 | -10 |
9. | Ryan Yip | Calgary | ASIA | 585 | -5 |
10. | Ryan Williams | Vancouver, BC | PGAC | 631 | -2 |
WOMEN'S TOP 10
HOMETOWN | TOUR | WR | + / – | ||
1. | Brooke Henderson | Smiths Falls, ON | - | 216 | +1 |
2. | Alena Sharp | Hamilton, ON | LPGA | 256 | -3 |
3. | Rebecca Lee-Bentham | Richmond Hill, ON | LPGA | 268 | -4 |
4. | Jennifer Kirby | Paris, ON | LPGA | 314 | -4 |
5. | Sue Kim | Langley, BC | LPGA | 369 | -2 |
6. | Lorie Kane | Charlottetown, PE | LPGA | 372 | -4 |
7. | Maude-Aimee Leblanc | Sherbrooke, QC | SYMT | 439 | -3 |
8. | Sara-Maude Juneau | Fossambault, QC | SYMT | 506 | -4 |
9. | Nicole Vandermade | Brantford, ON | SYMT | 580 | -1 |
10. | Jessica Wallace | Vancouver, BC | SYMT | 669 | +3 |
MEN'S AMATEUR TOP 10
HOMETOWN | SCHOOL | WR | + / – | ||
1. | Corey Conners | Listowel, ON | Kent State | 17 | +1 |
2. | Austin Connelly | Irving, TX | Arkansas | 18 | +1 |
3. | Adam Svensson | Surrey, BC | Barry University | 37 | +2 |
4. | Garrett Rank | Elmira, ON | Team Canada | 89 | -1 |
5. | Jared du Toit | Kimberley, BC | Idaho | 293 | +4 |
6. | Blair Hamilton | Burlington, ON | Houston | 295 | +4 |
7. | Austin James | Bath, ON | Charleston Southern | 442 | +3 |
8. | Eric Banks | Truro, NS | Florida | 470 | +4 |
9. | Tyler Saunders | Edmonton, AB | Texas State | 480 | +2 |
10. | Kevin Carrigan | Victoria, BC | 491 | -131 |
WOMEN'S AMATEUR TOP 10
HOMETOWN | SCHOOL | WR | + / – | ||
1. | Brooke Henderson | Smiths Falls, ON | Team Canada | 1 | - |
2. | SooBin Kim | Coquitlam, BC | Univ. Washington | 34 | -1 |
3. | Augusta James | Bath, ON | NC State | 38 | -1 |
4. | Maddie Szeryk | Allen, TX | Texas A&M | 63 | -2 |
5. | Brittany Marchand | Orangeville, ON | NC State | 67 | -2 |
6. | Jennifer Ha | Calgary, AB | Kent State | 90 | -1 |
7. | Jennifer Yang | Coquitlam, BC | Univ. Washington | 113 | -1 |
8. | Elizabeth Tong | Thornhill, ON | Indiana | 210 | -2 |
9. | Delaney Howson | Newmarket, ON | Murray State | 222 | - |
10. | Megan Osland | Kelowna, BC | San Jose State | 225 | - |