PGA Tour rookie Chandler Blanchet shot a career-low, 8-under-par 64 to take the early lead at the Puerto Rico Open on Thursday in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
Blanchet missed the cut in his first five starts of the season. This week, in the alternate event opposite the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Blanchet finds himself on top.
“It’s not been the ideal start to the season, but that being said, there’s been a lot of good learning and like a lot of growth in that,” said Blanchet, who missed the cut by one shot last week at the Cognizant Classic.
“I think last week was kind of a pretty good kick in the butt. Kind of changed the mindset a little bit for this week. Like, I want that adversity to grow and, like, I want to handle those challenges well.”
He bogeyed his first hole at Grand Reserve Golf Club, the par-4 10th, only to follow with nine birdies.
Blanchet sits one stroke ahead of Gordon Sargent, while Sweden’s Jesper Svensson holds third at 5-under 67. Canada’s Adam Hadwin highlights a six-way tie at 4-under 68.
Sargent would be tied with Blanchet were it not for a bogey at the 18th, his only blemish in a round that featured one eagle and six birdies.
“The start of the season was interesting. I feel like I played better than I scored,” Sargent said. “Yeah, tried not to get too down. It’s crazy how it can kind of flip out here.”
BYU freshman Kihei Akina, a 19-year-old amateur, is part of the tie at 4 under. Fellow amateur John Daly II, making his PGA Tour debut, opened with a 2-under 70. A senior on the Arkansas golf team, Daly chipped in for birdie from the greenside rough at No. 16.
“Got off to a good start, made a nice birdie on 1,” said the son of two-time major winner John Daly. “Solid up-and-down on 2, made about a 20-footer for par, which is nice, settled me in. And then just hit some good shots. Feel like I left a few out there, but I made it up with just a couple good saves and nice chip-in on 16.”
