With all of the weirdness at this year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, you might have missed Ryan Brehm’s must-win win in Puerto Rico. Playing in the last event of a medical exemption, Brehm could have finished second and kept a PGA Tour card for the 126-150 category.
Instead he won, vaulting Brehm into this week’s Players. But it’s his story that’s the kind Netflix should be including in a documentary. Thankfully, Brentley Romine did a superb job here capturing all of Brehm’s story that includes a 91 m.p.h. fastball and his wife serving as his caddie.
“It sounded like I had a bunch of pressure, but there really wasn’t,” Brehm said. “This was an opportunity for me to swing for the fences and see if we could win.”
Touch ‘em all.
With his wife, Chelsey, on the bag, Brehm cruised to a six-shot win Sunday at the Puerto Rico Open to not only retain his card but lock it up for two more years.
Brehm earned a much smaller winner’s check – $666,000. But like Brehm said, the money didn’t matter. After 68 tries, he not only had secured his maiden Tour title but also his first top-10, becoming the first player since Jason Gore in 2005 to post both his first career Tour win and top-10 in the same event.
More importantly, Brehm no longer has to stress about getting starts. He’s also into this week’s Players Championship.
“I’m looking forward to being able to pick my weeks,” Brehm said, “and go try and make some noise.”
The final round highlights: