Ryan Blaum has had a difficult two years on the golf course.
Blaum, a 2005 Duke University All-American, and Blaum’s wife, moved back to North Carolina after many years living in Florida. Blaum adopted a son in 2021, just as he was struggling through a PGA Tour season in which he missed 10 of a dozen cuts.
Two-time PGA Tour Latinoamerica winner, he was able to make it into only two PGA Tour events last year, and made the cut at the Mexico Open. He earned his lone Tour paycheck, $48,910.
This is quite a contrast to the nearly $1 million per year he earned on Tour in consecutive seasons between 2016-17 and 2017-18.
Blaum has had a difficult few months off the course. Blaum had kidney stones removed in January. He wasn’t sure how he would fare in the first PGA Tour start this season, when he traveled to Puerto Rico.
Blaum described the surgery as “that kind of knocks your butt.” “So, I feel like I’m just now feeling energetic again, just after coming out of anesthesia.
Blaum didn’t seem to be experiencing any symptoms on Thursday as he shot a 68 in his first round at the Puerto Rico Open at Grand Reserve Golf Club.
Blaum was able to get into the event by playing a Monday qualifier at Wellington National Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida. Blaum used a 7-under 65 for entry.
On Thursday, he was just as hot and made birdies on two holes.
Blaum, who had Tour cards for three seasons (2016-17 to 2018-19), remained consistent throughout the morning. He posted identical 34s on both the front and back, to keep within a few shots from the early-wave leaders.
Blaum stated that it was good there was no wind for the first five holes. “Then, with this wind, you need to be patient, play to a fat side of green, and hopefully roll in some putts. That’s what I did.”
