RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico — John Daly Jr. experienced a smoother outing, and a significantly more manageable golf course, than his father during his PGA Tour debut. The 22-year-old son of John Daly began with a 2-under 70 in the Puerto Rico Open on Thursday, where the younger players captured much of the attention, and Chandler Blanchet emerged with the lead.
Blanchet made a bogey on his opening hole, which turned out to be his sole error. He then recorded nine birdies for an impressive 8-under 64, marking his best round on the PGA Tour, giving him a one-shot advantage over Gordon Sargent, the former top collegiate golfer who has faced challenges in recent years.
“It was good,” Daly remarked. “I feel like I left a few out there, but I compensated with a couple of solid saves and a nice chip-in on 16.”
John Daly, a former PGA and British Open champion, made his inaugural PGA Tour-sanctioned appearance nearly 40 years ago. However, that event took place at Shinnecock Hills, not Grand Reserve, and it was the 1986 U.S. Open, not an opposite-field event in Puerto Rico. Daly recorded a score of 88 in that first round.
His son was not the only young player attracting attention. Blades Brown, the 18-year-old who played in the final group alongside Scottie Scheffler when the world’s No. 1 player triumphed at The American Express, started with a 69. This marked his 16th score in the 60s across his 34 career rounds on the PGA Tour.
Miles Russell, the 17-year-old from Florida and one of the top amateurs globally, posted a 71. Another promising young player, Zhou Yanhan from China, finished with a 72. Zhou, also 17, secured seven victories on the China Tour last year.
Blanchet earned his PGA Tour card through the Korn Ferry Tour last year, achieving two victories, including the circuit’s Tour Championship. However, his first season in the top tier has been slow, as he has missed the cut in all five tournaments he has participated in.
He hopes to gain valuable experience from those weekends off, and Blanchet expressed his eagerness to confront more challenges, such as handling short putts he has missed. He aims to strengthen his mental resilience to tackle such situations.
“I missed a 5-footer right on the first hole and I looked at my caddie and he said, ‘This is our test.’ I managed it well,” Blanchet noted. “Then I made some good birdies over the next few holes. Overall, it was a really solid day.”
Eugenio Chacarra, who commenced his professional career on the Saudi-backed LIV Golf in 2022 and became the first player from that rival league to receive a sponsor exemption on the PGA Tour, started with a 73.
The champion of the Puerto Rico Open will gain entry into The Players Championship and the PGA Championship, along with a two-year exemption on tour. However, this victory does not grant qualification for the Masters.
