DeLaet seeking maiden victory; opens in 65

• By Jason Sobel
• Feb 28, 2013 4:38 PM ET

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Graham DeLaet is fresh off what he calls the best West Coast Swing of his career.

Of course, this being only his third full season, a lone top-10 in five starts by the Pacific is enough to qualify.

The good news, though, is that DeLaet already has an early inside track on having his best Florida Swing, as well. Thanks to a 5-under 65 in the opening round of the Honda Classic, the 31-year-old Canadian is in great position entering the final 54 holes.

“I really felt like I was in really good control, kind of working it against the wind and trying to land it soft, playing to the fat side of the greens,” he said after making six birdies against just one bogey. “It's tough out here, and you know when you're missing greens and that kind of thing. So I was just trying to kind of play safe.”

That strategy resulted in an impressive 10 of 14 fairways hit and 17 of 18 greens in regulation for the round.

“I just felt like I was hitting a lot of smart shots to the safe part of the green and I made a few putts on the first seven holes which obviously helps and it kind of gets the momentum going,” said DeLaet, who is still seeking his first PGA Tour victory. “I was playing with a lot of confidence and it felt good.”