Winnipeg - 2009 Players Cup champion and Canadian Tour graduate Graham DeLaet will be playing in his second PGA Tour event this weekend at the Sony Open in Hawaii after attaining his PGA Tour Card in December. His first appearance was at last years RBC Canadian Open, which he qualified for by winning The Players Cup.

DeLaet, a 27-year-old native of Weyburn, Saskatachewan, joined the Canadian Tour in 2007. In 2009, he captured two Canadian Tour wins, including a major, The Players Cup, en route to winning the 2009 Player of the Year award.

“Graham’s graduation to the PGA Tour is no surprise,” says Rob McMillan, former Canadian Tour player and Executive Chairman of The Players Cup. “The quality of golf on the Canadian Tour is world-class. There have been a lot of exceptional players that have been able to make the transition to the PGA Tour.”

To date, over 100 Canadian Tour players have gone on to join the PGA Tour including such notables as Steve Stricker, Stuart Appleby, Chris DiMarco and 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir.

As the new Executive Chairman of The Players Cup, McMillan is excited about the many improvements that are planned for the 2010 edition of the event.

“It’s a wonderful time for The Players Cup,” says McMillan, “not only has the total purse gone up to $300,000 to ensure we have the best field possible, but we are also taking new initiatives to make the event even better for Manitoba golf fans.”

As a Canadian Tour flagship event, The Players Cup is the only professional event in Canada that grants an exemption for the winner to play in a PGA Tour event, The RBC Canadian Open. It also awards the second highest purse on the Canadian Tour and attracts the top PGA Tour prospects on the Canadian Tour. It will be taking place at Pine Ridge Golf Club in Winnipeg, Manitoba July 12th to 18th 2010.

For more information, please contact:

The Players Cup

Nicole McMillan, Executive Director
playerscup@shaw.ca
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Ph: 204-295-4441