RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico (AP) — John Daly II had an easier time and an easier golf course than his father in his PGA Tour debut. The kids were furious after John Daly’s 22-year-old son opened with a 2-under 70 at the Puerto Rico Open on Thursday before Chandler Blanchet eventually took the lead.
Blanchett made bogey on the first hole, his only mistake. He followed that up with nine birdies for an 8-under 64, his lowest score on the PGA Tour and ahead of Gordon Sargent, a former top college golfer who has struggled over the past few years.
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“It’s good,” Dailey said. “It felt like I missed a little bit, but I made up for it in the 16th with just a couple of good saves and a good chip.”
Former PGA and British Open champion John Daly first played in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event nearly 40 years ago. But that was Shinnecock Hills, not the Grand Reserve, and it was the 1986 U.S. Open, not the opposite venue event in Puerto Rico. Daly shot an 88 in the first round.
His son isn’t the only player receiving attention. Blades Brown, 18, who was playing in the final group with world No. 1 player Scottie Scheffler as he won the American Express, opened with a 69. It was his 16th shot in the 60s in 34 career PGA Tour starts.
Miles Russell of Florida, one of the world’s top amateur golfers, shot 71. Another young rookie, China’s Zhou Yanhan, shot 72. The 17-year-old Zhou Yanhan won 7 games on the China Tour last year.
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Blanchett earned his PGA Tour card last year through the Korn Ferry Tour and has won twice, including the Tour title. But he got off to a slow start in his first season in the majors, failing to advance in all five games he appeared in.
He hopes to learn a lot from the weekend off, and Blanchett said he’s looking forward to more challenges, such as dealing with the short putts he missed. He wanted to become mentally stronger to deal with the problem.
“I missed a 5-footer on the first hole and I looked at my caddy and he said, ‘This is our test.’ Handled it well,” Blanchette said. “And then made some nice birdies on the next few holes. Yeah, a pretty solid day.”
Eugenio Chacarra began his career with Saudi-backed LIV Golf in 2022 and became the first player in the rival league to receive a sponsor exemption from the PGA Tour, opening with a 73.
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The winner of the Puerto Rico Championship can participate in the Players Championship and PGA Championship and receive a two-year exemption from the tour. But it does not qualify for the Masters.
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AP Golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf