American Chandler Blanchet opened with a bogey at the 10th and went on to fire nine birdies for a 64 to take the opening lead at 8-under at the Puerto Rico Open.

The PGA Tour rookie holds his first 18-hole lead/co-lead in his ninth career start and sixth start this season (previous best 18-hole position: T20/2026 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches/finished MC).

“Very solid day out there. Really windy. Felt like I had to be pretty creative. Hit some pretty fun shots, some different shots that maybe I’m not used to, some aiming way left of greens and into the water. But yeah, it was a lot of fun. Made some good putts today, too,” said Blanchet.

“It’s not been the ideal start to the season, but that being said, there’s been a lot of good learning and like a lot of growth in that. I think last week was kind of a pretty good kick in the butt. Kind of changed the mindset a little bit for this week. Like I want that adversity to grow and like I want to handle those challenges well. I’d been missing some putts last week and it kind of got in my head and I said, you know, I hope we miss some of those putts this — I hope we make more, but I want to miss some of those putts just so I can maybe bounce back with a stronger mental game. I missed a five-footer right on the first hole and I looked at my caddie and he said, This is our test. Handled it well. Then made some good birdies over the next few holes. Yeah, really solid day.”

Blanchet won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour (2025 Price Cutter Charity Championship, 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Championship) and finished No. 2 in the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Points List to secure PGA Tour membership for the 2026 season.

In second place at 7-under, American Gordon Sargent made an eagle at the par-5 11th, six birdies and one bogey for a 65, setting his career-low 18-hole score on Tour for a career best 18-hole position  (previous: T10/2025 ISCO Championship).

Sweden’s Jesper Svensson opened with a bogey-free 67 and lies in third place at 5-under.

Americans Ben Kohles (one bogey), Hayden Springer (eagle at the par-5 11th, four birdies and two bogeys), Ricky Castillo (one bogey) and Kihei Akina (one bogey) are tied in fourth place at 4-under.

Also tied in fourth place with a 68 are England’s David Skinns who eagled the par-5 11th and made three birdies and one bogey and Canadian Adam Hadwin who eagled the par-5 145h and made four birdies and two bogeys.

Making his PGA Tour debut as a sponsor exemption, John Daly II (USA) carded a 70 and lies in T21 at 2-under. He has made one previous career start in a Tour-sanctioned event as an amateur (2024 Compliance Solutions Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour/MC).

The Puerto Rico Open marks the 18-year anniversary since the first playing of the event in 2008 at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande; home to 11 first-time winners, notably Tony Finau (2016), Viktor Hovland (2020) and Nico Echavarria (2023).

The winner will receive 300 FedExCup points, a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour and an invitation to next week’s Players Championship (if not previously eligible).

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