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TSN Senior Reporter

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If Graham DeLaet appeared a little twitchy as he played his first round at the Sandersons Farms Championship on Thursday, it didn't show.

The Canadian golfer made eight birdies en route to a solid opening-round 66 that left him tied for sixth and just four shots off the lead.
 
But he could forgiven if he seemed distracted; DeLaet's wife, Ruby, is ready to give birth at any moment and he's waiting for a phone call that would see him zip home for the arrival of his first two – that's right, two – children.

"I got a text about 15 minutes before we teed off and she got the results from a test that her doctors had done and we have now until Tuesday -- she's going to have a planned Cesarean -- so that allows me to stay here," said DeLaet. "Obviously I would have got on a flight as soon as possible if the news had been any different because they were thinking it was going to possibly happen tomorrow. So that's nice. Hopefully I can have a nice weekend here and enjoy the off-season with the new family."

The twins will be the highlight of what's been a busy stretch for DeLaet. Earlier this week, he and Ruby announced their foundation will serve as the host organization for the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open, the Saskatchewan stop on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada. It brings DeLaet back to his roots both as a former player on the Canadian circuit and to his home province.
 
"I mean it's super cool to be able to give back and partner with the PGA Tour Canada, which is where I got my start, and it was a good fit," stated DeLaet. "Obviously, our foundation is all about raising money locally in Saskatchewan, and this is a good way to kind of catapult that and grow the awareness of what we're trying to do, Ruby and I, so it's great."

The couple's foundation raises funds for children's wellness and also junior golf development. So far, it's raised more than $1 million.

The Sandersons Farms Championship is Delaet's third event of the new season. He was in the hunt at the first stop, the Frys.com Open, before a sloppy 77 on Sunday dropped him back into a tie for 32nd. He missed the cut at the Shriners Hospitals for Children stop in Las Vegas.

On Thursday, DeLaet was his usual self on the course, driving it long off the tee, hitting 15 of 18 greens and rolling in a bunch of putts. His only blip came on the fifth hole where he logged a double-bogey seven on the par 5.
With the expanding family, DeLaet will shut things down until January after this week. Then it will be about learning how to travel with an expanded family.

DeLaet was a shot back of compatriot Adam Hadwin, who had a 65 on Thursday. The tournament's defending champion, Nick Taylor, started the week with a 69.

This event has been good to Canadians with both Dan Halldorson and Richard Zokol on the list of past champions.