Monday qualifiers: Puerto Rico Open

The man in the arena at the Puerto Rico Open qualifier was medalist Christian Salzer, who rebounded from a three-putt bogey at the opening hole to card 7-under 64, earning his first career PGA TOUR start.

The 23-year-old who turned professional last June had made just one start in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event, missing the cut at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard in early February.

The North Carolina State alum has mostly tested his game on mini-tours. In his professional debut, he finished T3 at the 2021 Mimosa Open on the GProTour after carding rounds of 64-65-68. He felt like his game had been solid all year, he said, but hadn’t really cashed in until Monday.

“Whole lot different than college golf,” Salzer told PGA TOUR Digital after the round. “Pars are good in college, but they don’t cut it in professional golf no matter what level you are. Mini-tours teach you to keep your foot on the gas and keep making birdies.”

Salzer, who chalked up eight birdies on Monday, always believed he had the talent to compete on the PGA TOUR. But it has taken time and veteran advice from former North Carolina State golfer and 2010 PLAYERS Championship winner Tim Clark to propel Salzer’s game.

“Tim told me something once when we were at his house for a college tournament,” Salzer said. “He said that the club and the golf ball don’t know what the shot is for, or how much it means, or what could go wrong. It resonated with me and put things in perspective. Golf doesn’t change or get harder. No matter the situation, only the player can put the pressure on and make it harder.”

Salzer will look to channel that newfound perspective this week as he makes his PGA TOUR debut at the Puerto Rico Open.

Patrick Flavin qualified for his second PGA TOUR event of the season after posting a 6-under 65. Flavin’s T17 finish at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship was tied for best for a Monday qualifier this year until Martin Contini’s finish at The Honda Classic last week.

Alejandro Tosti tied Flavin at 6-under and will make his PGA TOUR debut at the Puerto Rico Open. Tosti becomes the third Argentinian in the last two weeks to qualify for a PGA TOUR event.

The 4-for-1 playoff to decide the last qualifier for the Puerto Rico Open ended on the fourth extra hole when veteran Brett Stegmaier made birdie. His most recent PGA TOUR start came at the 2018 Wyndham Championship, finishing T11.

Drew Nesbitt, Brian Carlson and Brian Richey fell just shy of Puerto Rico Open entry via the 4-for-1 playoff. It marked the second consecutive week in which Richey lost in a Monday qualifier playoff, after he competed in last week’s 16-for-1 playoff at The Honda Classic qualifier.

Here's a capsule look at the four Puerto Rico Open qualifiers ...

Christian Salzer (7-under 64)

Age: 23
College: North Carolina State
Turned pro: 2021
PGA TOUR starts: 0

Notes: Will make PGA TOUR debut at the Puerto Rico Open … Made Korn Ferry Tour debut at the Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard, resulting in missed cut … Played four years of college golf at North Carolina State … Finished senior year with 71.57 scoring average, which was 12th lowest in program history … Prior to North Carolina State, Salzar ranked as the No. 2 junior in the state of South Carolina … Won the 2015 South Carolina Junior Championship … Represented the United States at the 2015 Can – Am Championship.

Alejandro Tosti (6-under 65)

Age: 25
College: University of Florida
Turned pro: 2018
PGA TOUR starts: 0

Notes: Will make his PGA TOUR debut at the Puerto Rico Open … Has two top-25 finishes in three starts on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica this season … Currently No. 18 on Totalplay Cup… Finished inside the top-10 three times in eight events on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica in 2019 … Won the 2019 Termas de Rio Hando Invitational on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica … Turned pro in 2018 … Had already recorded two finishes inside the top-20 on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica as an amateur … Played collegiately at the University of Florida … Was 2017 Golfweek First Team All-America and First Team All-SEC … Made the 2015 SEC All-Freshman Team … Won individual portion of the 2017 SEC Championship at Sea Island, Georgia … Won first and last event while playing for the University of Florida … Represented Argentina at the 2014 World Amateur Team Championship in Japan … Finished T2 with Lucas Herbert in the 2014 Eisenhower Trophy for individual play, three strokes shy of winner Jon Rahm.

Patrick Flavin (6-under 65)

Age: 26
College: Miami (Ohio)
Turned pro: 2018
PGA TOUR starts: 2
Cuts made: 1

Notes: Will make second start of the 2021-22 PGA TOUR season at the Puerto Rico Open … Qualified for the 2021 Butterfield Bermuda Championship and finished T17 … Has made two cuts in three events on the 2021-22 PGA TOUR Latinoamerica … Best finish was 18th at the 115 VISA Argentine Open presented by Macro … Played five events on the 2020-21 PGA TOUR Latinoamerica, recording one finish inside the top-10 at the 61 Abierto Mexicano de Golf … Played 13 events on the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour, finishing T5 at the Evans Scholars Invitational presented by First Midwest Bank and T10 at the Wichita Open Benefitting KU Wichita Pediatrics ... Finished T5 in the Forme Open at TPC River’s Bend and T7 at the Forme Tour Championship on the 2021 Forme Tour ... Played 16 events on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica in 2019, winning the Bupa Match Play and finishing inside the top five in two other events (Shell Championship; 66 JHSF Aberto De Brasil) … Two-time Miami (Ohio) Athlete of the Year … Stands No. 658 on the Official World Golf Ranking.

Brett Stegmaier (5-under 66; birdie on fourth hole of 4-for-1 playoff)

Age: 38
College: University of Florida
Turned pro: 2006
PGA TOUR starts: 80
Cuts made: 40

Notes: Puerto Rico Open will be Stegmaier’s first PGA TOUR event since the 2017-18 PGA TOUR season … Played 34 events on the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour … T11 at Live and Work in Maine Open was best result … Opened 2019 Korn Ferry Tour season with back-to-back finishes inside the top-10 in the Bahamas … Best Korn Ferry Tour finish was second at the 2014 Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by MISTRAS … Played on the PGA TOUR from 2015-16 to 2017-18 … Best finish was T2 at the 2015 Shriners Children’s Open … Stands No. 915 on the Official World Golf Ranking.

Notables to fall short of qualifying: Brian Richey, Chase Koepka, Tom Lovelady, M.J. Maguire, Erik Compton, Mickey DeMorat, Jamie Lovemark, Max Sear, Daniel Wetterich, Ben Silverman, Kyle Reifers, Marcelo Rozo, Andrew Svoboda, Andrew Loupe, Nicholas Thompson, Stephen Stallings Jr., Mark Baldwin

This week’s Puerto Rico Open qualifiers will aim to build on the momentum cultivated at The Honda Classic last week. Three of The Honda Classic’s four open qualifiers survived the cut.

Argentinian Martin Contini was T7 heading into the final round at PGA National (Champion) before finishing T16. It was the best finish by a Monday qualifier so far in 2022.

Rick Lamb, who qualified last Tuesday morning after making eagle on the first hole of a 16-for-1 playoff, carried his quality play to PGA National and finished T30. It was his best finish on the PGA TOUR since the 2017 Wyndham Championship.

Sam Stevens, medalist at The Honda Classic qualifier, was T19 heading into the final round before carding 4-over 74 and finishing T55.

2021-22 Monday qualifier statistics

Top-25s: Martin Contini (T16, The Honda Classic); Grant Hirschman (T17, Sanderson Farms Championship); Patrick Flavin (T17, Butterfield Bermuda Championship)

Best finish: Martin Contini (T16, The Honda Classic)

Most times qualified: Patrick Flavin (2); Kyle Wilshire (2); Ben Silverman (2)

Last event’s qualifier results (The Honda Classic): Martin Contini (T16); Rick Lamb (T30); Sam Stevens (T55); Fabián Gómez (MC)

Next PGA TOUR qualifier: Valspar Championship; Southern Hills Plantation Club, March 14