Delahoussaye Leads Canadian Open with Record Setting 62

July 23, 2010

CLEMSON, SC – Former Clemson All-ACC golfer Brent Delahoussaye shot an eight under par 62 to hold a two stroke lead after the first round of the RBC Canadian Open in Toronto, Canada. The native of Greenville is in his first year on the PGA Tour and this is just his 14th PGA Tour event.

Delahoussaye played at Clemson during the 2003-04 and 2004-05 Clemson seasons. He red-shirted during Clemson’s 2003 National Championship season.

Delahoussaye’s round of 62 tied for the low round in history by a former Tiger on the PGA Tour and it was the low round since Charles Warren shot a 62 at the 2005 Greater Greensboro Open.

His round also tied for the low round in the history of the Canadian Open. Four other players have shot 62s in the RBC Canadian Open, the first three at Glen Abbey. Leonard Thompson set the mark in 1981, Andy Bean matched it in 1983, both at a par of 71, and Greg Norman did it in 1986, when par was 72. Hunter Mahan had a 9-under 62 at Angus Glen in 2007.

Delahoussaye, in the last group of the day off the ninth tee, also broke the course record of 64 set by Canadian George Knudson in 1968, the last time the national championship was played at the Stanley Thompson-designed course.

Delahoussaye, a q-school graduate, was 3 under on his first two holes, hitting a 3-iron to 8 feet from 230 yards on the par-5 ninth to set up his eagle and holing a 14-footer on the par-4 10th. “I was 3 under after two and thinking, `Wow! This could be good,” he said.

He birdied the 12th, gave the stroke back with a bogey on the par-3 13th and birdied the 17th to get back to 4 under. He then birdied Nos. 2, 5, 6, and 7 and closed with a par on the par-3 eighth. Delahoussaye hit 13 of 14 fairways in regulation, 14 of 18 greens and had only 24 putts.”The key was probably hitting fairways,” he said. “I figured the rough was going to be thick, after my practice round.”