DeLaet, a native of Weyburn, Sask., who came to Mississauga riding a wave after winning the Canadian Tour's Montreal Open last week, built a five-shot lead through 13 holes today before taking a double-bogey and triple-bogey to drop back into a three-way tie for the lead, at five-under-par.
DeLaet shared the lead with Jim Seki of Palo Alto, California, and George Bradford of Columbia, Maryland. Bradford had a late tee time Friday afternoon and had not yet started his second round when DeLaet and Seki posted their scores.
"I was playing really well until I three-putted the 13th hole," said DeLaet, referring to the 424-yard par-4 hole. "I was upset about that and made a poor decision on 14 (344-yard, par-4) and it cost me a double-bogey."
DeLaet's troubles didn't end there. He hit his tee shot out of bounds on the 454-yard closing hole, hit another shot into a hazard on the right side of the hole and ended up with a quadruple-bogey eight.
"Just some bad decisions, mentally," said DeLaet, who at one point today was 11-under for the tournament.
New Zealander Josh Geary, the tournament leader heading into the second round, never got untracked Friday and finished with a two-over-par 72 over the 6,404-yard century-old Lakeview course.
"I was happy being even-par after 15 holes today because I didn't play well at all," said Geary. "I was lucky to make some four- and five-foot putts to save par. I just found the course a lot harder to play. The pins were tucked away and it was hard to get to them."
Seki, who has made the cut in six of 11 events this season on the Canadian Tour, made a move up the leader board with a two-under-par 68 day to grab a share of top spot.
The field will be cut to the low 60 players and ties after this afternoon's second round.
The 72-hole tournament, named in honour of Jane Rogers, who died last year of cancer, winds up Sunday.
onlinenews@mississauga.net
