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Ryan Brehm, one of the best golfers in Michigan State history, became a professional in 2008. He played his first PGA tournament in 2008 and 2009 but missed the cut. He never played again on the PGA Tour for 8 straight years, before returning in 2017 as a 31-year-old rookie.
Brehm resided in North America but his journey was very tough and far from what he expected. Ryan made a cut in 17 events out of 25 and proved himself in 2017. He had his best finish at the Sanderson Farms Championship that year with a tie for 18th.
Ryan Brehm struggled for around nine years until he made the PGA Tour. However, his challenging journey did not finish at the top of the rankings but got more difficult.
Ryan Brehm's struggle to keep PGA Tour status
In 2022, Brehm hit a 4-under 68 in rainy conditions at the Puerto Rico Open on Saturday to take a three-stroke lead. Brehm's wife, Chelsey, was caddying for him. As quoted by USA TODAY, Brehm said:
“I know that somebody’s going to play well, probably more than one person, so it’s up to me to go out and do my job and play my game. We’re probably not going to change much strategically. We’ll hit irons off some tees and drivers off others.”
Brehm's professional career changed with his first win on the PGA Tour at the Puerto Rico Open. He shot a 5-under 67 for a 20-under total and a six-stroke runaway win. Michael Kim finished in second place with a 70.
Brehm desperately needed a victory as his status was at stake. Winning at the Puerto Rico Open meant a two-year exemption and getting into the PGA Championship but no exemption for the Masters. Brehm told Golf Channel in an interview:
“That was the calmest I’ve ever been as a pro, We planned on playing the Korn Ferry Tour this year and this fit nicely in the schedule. We had four or five weeks out there (Korn Ferry) to get ready for this and really I felt no pressure at all. I felt like we had everything to win and nothing to lose.”
In 129 events played during his career, Ryan Brehm has 57 cuts made along with 1 win and 1 top-5 finish. In 2024, he has played 11 events with 4 cuts made and one top-25 finish.
