Ryan Brehm earned his first PGA Tour title at the best possible time, cruising to a six-shot victory Sunday in the Puerto Rico Open at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
Playing on the final start of a minor medical exemption, Brehm arrived in Puerto Rico under some pressure. He needed to finish in first or solo second to maintain his PGA Tour card.
He did just that, with Sunday’s bogey-free, 5-under-par 67 moving him to 20-under 268 for the week. The victory clinched Brehm a two-year exemption on tour.
“I didn’t really pay much attention to my back being up against the wall,” said Brehm, who entered the week No. 773 in the Official World Golf Ranking. “I just felt like this week I had everything to win and nothing to lose.”
Brehm opened his round with a birdie and added four more the rest of the day, including three straight at holes 9-11. He made par on his final seven holes amid growing inclement weather.
“The weather today, oh my gosh, it got crazy out there,” Brehm said. “I think it helped me because I was over a couple shots and I just mentally went, ‘Just hit it.’ It worked out every single time.”
Brehm also qualified for The Players Championship next week with the win.
Max McGreevy shot a 69 to finish alone in second at 14 under. Brandon Wu (69) and Tommy Gainey (70) tied for third at 13 under, and Callum Tarren of England (70) was tied for fifth with Chad Ramey (71) at 12 under.
–Field Level Media
